Tortoise Food

What Do Tortoises Eat?

Tortoises are long-lived animals whose dietary needs are closely tied to their natural habitat and species of origin. Getting the diet right is an important part of keeping a tortoise that remains healthy over what can be a very long lifetime indeed.

The natural tortoise diet

The foundation of a good tortoise diet is understanding what these animals are designed to eat in the wild and replicating it as closely as possible.

• Most tortoise species commonly kept as pets in the UK are herbivores that naturally graze on a diverse variety of weeds, grasses and leafy plants over the course of each day
• A diet high in fibre and calcium and low in protein and fat most closely matches their natural feeding behaviour and supports long-term organ and shell health
• Suitable plants include dandelion, plantain and clover alongside other tortoise-safe weeds: avoid high-oxalate plants such as spinach, which can interfere with calcium absorption
• Fruit should be avoided for most commonly kept tortoise species such as Horsfield’s and Hermann’s tortoises, as it is not part of their natural diet and the high sugar content can cause digestive disturbance and encourage harmful gut bacteria

Complete tortoise food and supplements

During periods when fresh plant material is unavailable, commercial tortoise food provides a practical and nutritionally sound alternative.

• Commercial tortoise food and pellets provide a convenient, nutritionally balanced supplement when fresh plant material is unavailable, particularly during winter or in early spring
• Calcium and vitamin D3 supplementation is important for bone and shell health, particularly for tortoises kept indoors or in the UK climate where natural UVB exposure is limited
• Species matters: Mediterranean species such as Horsfield’s and Hermann’s tortoises have different requirements to tropical varieties, and food choices should reflect this

Why Buy Tortoise Food from Newcastle Pets?

Newcastle Pets stocks tortoise-specific food and supplements, and our team can advise on appropriate food and supplementation for different tortoise species. Tortoises are not an afterthought in our range.

• Tortoise-specific food and dietary supplements stocked for common UK tortoise species
• Our in-store team can advise on appropriate food and supplementation for your specific tortoise species and age
• Free local delivery for Newcastle-under-Lyme customers