How to Feed a Baby Desert Turtle

A shallow dish such as this is perfect for providing food to a baby desert tortoise.

Desert turtles are actually called desert tortoises because they live on land. The desert tortoise species is native to northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. The desert tortoise is an herbivore, eating only hays, grasses, weeds, flowers and the occasional fruit or vegetable.

Things You'll Need

• Small shallow dish
• Sharp knife
• Leafy greens
• Grasses
• Vegetables

Instructions

1. Gather the appropriate food items for the baby desert tortoise. The baby desert tortoise's diet should consist of 90 percent leafy greens and hay and 10 percent vegetables. The greenery can include native desert grasses and hays, cactus pads, alfalfa hay, hibiscus flowers, dandelion greens, clover, carrot greens and mustard greens. Acceptable vegetables can include spinach, kale, snow peas, prickly pear and string beans.

2. Chop up all of the food, including any leafy greens and grasses, into small pieces with a sharp knife. Because the tortoise is still very small, all of the food offered should be cut into easy-to-manage, bite-sized pieces. For baby desert tortoises this means pieces that are easily consumed and chewed in one tiny bite.

3. Sprinkle the food with a vitamin and calcium supplement, preferably one that is designed for turtles and tortoises. This should be done every few feedings and is extremely important for the baby desert tortoise's growth and development.

4. Add the chopped food to the shallow dish and place the dish in the tortoise's enclosure in a place where the tortoise can easily find and reach the food, preferably on the ground or floor of the enclosure.

Tips & Warnings

• Desert tortoises obtain most of their moisture from the food they eat and can go up to a year without drinking water. However, they should still be offered fresh water at all times in a dish that is not deep enough for the baby tortoise to fall into or drown in.

• Do not feed the tortoise any vegetables or greenery from your backyard unless you are absolutely certain they have not come into contact with fertilizers or pesticides.

• Do not feed desert tortoises fruit or commercially packaged foods as, respectively, they contain too much sugar and sodium and can lead to health problems.

References

• Desert View Animal Hospital: Health Care for the Desert Tortoise
• California Turtle & Tortoise Club: Care of Desert Tortoises
• Arizona Wildlife Center: Captive Desert Tortoise Diet

Resources

• Tortoise Trust: Baby Tortoise Care Basics