Tortoise

Turtles are reptiles of the order of Testudines. They are characterized by a shell that covers the upper part of their bodies. This shell is made up of two parts, the carapace (upper shell) and the plastron (lower shell), which are connected by ribs and bony structures. The carapace is attached to the turtle’s spine, …

I ran a local aquarium shop mostly dealing with ornamental fish of all kinds. Recently, I have been looking forward to introducing turtles as part of the aquatic animals we sell. To be able to advise clients on the appropriate plant-based diet for turtles given that most of my clients are beginners. I did the …

In this post we discuss we take a deeper look into whether it is safe to feed spinach to torts and the benefits and risks involved in doing so. Can tortoise eat spinach? Tortoises can eat spinach. However, tortoises should have spinach sparingly as it contains oxalic acids that prevent the absorption of calcium and …

After visiting my local zoo and hearing our guide say that while tortoises can eat most vegetables some of them have toxins that in high levels can be dangerous to tortoises. I decided to do some digging into whether celery is in that category. Can tortoises eat celery? Tortoises can eat celery leaves. However, tortoises …

Most pets whose natural habitat is associated with the limited availability of water can go several days without water. Given that some species of tortoises come from the desert. I did some research to learn whether they need water and how long they can go without it. Here is what I found. Do tortoises drink …

Earlier today while watching a documentary I saw pet tortoises feeding on hay. Given that there a lot of cabbage and spinach in my local market I got curious whether torts can enjoy this veggie. Can tortoises eat cabbage? Tortoises can eat red, green, and purple cabbage as part of a balanced diet. However, tortoises …

Tortoises are generally herbivorous and it is recommended you try as much as possible to replicate their wild diet when in captivity. While most veggies and plant material they would not get in the wild can be offered in captivity. I did some research to find out whether carrots are safe for torts. Can tortoises …

In one of my visits to the local zoo, our guide mentioned that not all tortoises should eat fruits. I did research later to find out which tortoises should eat fruits and ones that should not. Today we discuss strawberries. Can tortoises eat strawberries? Fruit-eating tortoises can eat strawberries. However, Desert and Mediterranean tortoises should …

There is limited information available on which tortoises should be fed fruits. Experts say that some tortoises cannot digest fruits properly since naturally their digestion system is not meant to digest fruits. This got me curious and I decided to dig deeper into the subject, paying more attention to whether torts should be fed apples. …

During one of my visits to the local zoo, our guide mentioned that not all tortoises should eat fruits. Below is a research I did to find out if they can eat pineapples. Can tortoises eat pineapple? Fruit-eating tortoises like Redfoot and Yellowfoot tortoises can eat pineapples and other fruits such as apples, watermelon, papaya, …