Feeding

What Do They Eat?

   Giant Aldabra tortoises are primarily vegetarians and mainly graze on grass and weeds such as plantains and dandelions with the very occasional treat of fruit. However, wild tortoises of this species can be flexible in their diet to exploit the benefit of food available, so they are described as opportunistic Omnivores. In their natural habitat they live on an island and can eat fish that have been washed ashore. Their homeland is quite stark, being a coral atoll and it is not unknown for them to feed on the bodies of other dead tortoises to maximise their nutritional intake - but these actions would be entirely as scavengers, rather than as predators.

   The diet of young tortoises in the wild is different from the adults as they take in more protein by eating worms and larvae of various insects. Tortoises require a good intake of calcium, for development of bones and shell. Hatchlings are capable of eating solid food within 3-7 days of birth.

   Aldabra Atoll has large areas where more than 20 different grasses and herb species grow and this is known as Tortoise Turf. They crop the grass so closely that plants have had to evolve differently to be able to continue to survive and pollinate, the tortoises leave a telltale path through the vegetation showing where they have been foraging and thus creating access trails for other species to follow.

   In captivity, vets say the two reasons why they see tortoises in their surgery is due to poor husbandry or the wrong diet. Excessive food may contribute to pyramiding of the shell by too rapid growth. Most tortoises in the world have a high fibre diet and the captive owners need to replicate this.

   Tortoises need plenty of grasses and hay in their diet, owners may think giving them salads is taking care of them and that feeding them the best they can is good, in their efforts to take care of a beloved pet. However, too much rich food is like us having a McDonald's everyday- it is not good for us even though many people would enjoy it. Tortoise owners need to be careful that they are not accidentally doing more harm than good. Everyone likes something indulgent, including the tortoises, but don’t take it to the extreme, use your common sense and feed them treats in moderation. Their systems are not geared up for rich food. The saying 'killing them with kindness' comes to mind.

   If you do decide to alter their diet then do it gradually, a variety of foods makes their life more interesting and if you only feed one type of food then you could be causing yourself problems in the future- a picky tortoise can be difficult to entice to eat if ill.

Do You Feed Them Tortoise Pellets?

   No. Pellets can be too high in proteins. Tortoises come from different areas of the world and need different diets. Generic tortoise pellets are not appropriate for all species. It would be fine to give them some as a treat or use as occasional enrichment but natural food is always best. Do your research before you choose the type of tortoise you want, there are about 40 different species to decide from. Availability of the correct diet for them should be a strong consideration of which animal you choose.

   Tortoises are not domesticated, they are wild animals living in captivity and owners need to mimic their natural diet and living conditions as much as possible. They are mainly herbivores and poor nutritious food is what Aldabra tortoises were designed to cope with.

   The more you learn about your tortoise the better you can provide for it. Saving you money in the long run by not making costly mistakes, which could put your animals’ health in jeopardy.

   We do not feed our Aldabras tortoise pellets, they are on a natural diet of grazing grass, as much as possible. Over winter when the grass is not growing, their diet is supplemented with Redi Grass, which is dried grass that has been bagged up and sold for horse feed. Mixed with that is hay and garlic or apple chaff. These area all products you can get from animal supply stores (not pets at home type pet shops).

   Garlic is a good natural antibiotic so we like to give it regularly as part of their feed to help fight off any infections before they have a chance to take hold. The apple and garlic is also scent enrichment for them. (The garlic does smell strongly, so you may have issues with storage, if it is not something you will; use a lot of.) They also get a handful grass pellets, again this is horse food in pellet form, made up of severely compressed, dehydrated, grass. They prefer to eat it that way rather than having it soaked first, and it provides stimulation as a different texture to eat. It is a good way of helping to keep their beak under control. Supplements are mixed in with all of this.

   We also get them some Opuntia pads, which are a type of large cactus pad, for them to munch on, and these are probably similar to what they would have access to in the wild. It also provides them with moisture without having to drink. Beware when handling them the spines are very sharp, even in most have been removed, and can cause infection if you get one stuck in your hand.

  Carrots are given to help with beak control, or we give them a whole swede occasionally so that it is enrichment that they have to work at stopping it rolling away from them whilst they munch at it. Its like chasing their very own football with a very tough outer skin.

   As a general rule our smaller breed tortoises don't get pellets either, they have natural weeds and occasional treats such as cucumber for nutrient feeding or tomato for training etc. However, this winter has been rather mild and fluctuating so we made the decision to keep them out of hibernation, for the first time. Obviously there is less weeds around so we have had to supplement their diet with the use of some Mazuri pellet feeding. Our smaller breeds do not seem to like the grass pellets, the Aldabras have, but they do like the smell of the Mazuri and will come charging over for it.

   You can mix in leafy greens and grasses, its great for getting them interested in a varied diet and helping to break the habit of picky eaters. You mix in their favourite foods and then gradually reduce the amount and add in different feeds, that are more healthy, and before long it is eating a mixed diet. Don't give into them if they only want to eat their favourite food. Tortoises can go for long periods without food, many captive tortoises are overfed compared to their wild cousins. When they get hungry enough they will tuck into the healthy food, mixed with their favourite.

   You can feed Mazuri diet to all types of tortoises but apparently other owners have said not all tortoises like it. Nutrazu is the same product sold, by the same parent company, in Europe.

Warning:

   If you are feeding any tortoises, dry pellets, there must be plenty of water accessible nearby. Do not feed them a large amount of dry pellets in one go because once it reacts with water the begin to rehydrate it will swell by a large factor. It is more than you would expect, e.g if you put a handful in a small margarine tub (250g size) and then add half a tub of water, and leave to soak, then that handful will swell to fill the tub. That is a big increase when the tortoise has stuffed itself, before it has a drink.

   It is especially important not to feed babies dry pellets because when they swell up, when mixed with water, it can cause stomach swelling problems because their shell is still pliant. Admittedly it is a smaller chance of this happening but it is still a bit risk to take with their health and could have long term implications on your pets life. Giving them it damp, will make it easier for them to eat and also lessen the risk, so seems a more sensible option.

   Soak them in enough water to make them go mushy, start with less water and then add more until you get the consistency you want, it works quicker with warm water and then leave it to cool. If you put in too much water to start, you may end up having to drain water off and then you will be loosing some of the important nutrients that the feed supplies, so wasting money and not benefiting the tortoise either.

How Much Do They Grow In A Year?

   The amount of food available affects the number of growth rings the tortoise produces in a year, in a good year they could have numerous rings but in a lean year they do not have energy to spare to grow. New growth rings are added concentrically around each 'Scute' or segment of shell, so the animal grows quite quickly as the size increases exponentially.

   You need to remmber that the growth goes around each scute and they have 38 of them, so if there is a 1mm growth ring aroung wwach one, it does make quite a difference, they often seem to grow without you really noticing it. We can tell one of our big makes has grown since we got him - he will no longer fit through a shed’s single doorway!

 The pale grey / white lines are the new growth rings forming around each scute.

How Big Do They Get?

   Wild male adults typically have a Carapace shell length of 105cm (41 inches) but can grow to 4ft. The females get up to 3ft (91 cm). Tortoises kept in captivity will typically grow quicker, and can get bigger, than their wild counter parts as they have access to more food and it is normally of a better quality than food found in their natural home range. 

   Wild Aldabra tortoise size varies across the atoll, depending on how much food they have had access to in their lifetime and the type of food can also affect the smoothness of their shell. Too much fruit in their diet can cause pyramiding of the shell.

This is something that tortoise keepers need to be aware of. Too rapid a growth can cause issues such as problems moving due to over weight. Also weak bone structure, which is why captive animals need calcium supplements. Their bones are solid and without marrow inside them.

   A pinch of a vitamin and mineral supplement on their food, such as Nutrobal, is helpful if the diet is lacking. However, weeds contain plenty of natural calcium so do not over do it as it is possible to overdo it and cause another set of problems, everything in moderation is best.

   If an adult Aldabra tortoise stands fully upright on their four legs the head easily reaches an adult humans waist. Aldabra tortoises have large feet, like elephants, to help disperse their heavy weight when walking and make them more stable. The limbs are covered in bony scales to protect their soft skin.

   Thanks to a previous effortless lifestyle our big males need to do a little more exercise to build up muscle strength in order to achieve this but we are working towards improving their leg strength, it will just take a while.