Hey, I have a Testudo Graeca who's 10 years old and as far as I can tell perfectly healthy.

I have usually given him a diet of weeds (I don't know the English name for them, but the common ones you find in any garden which I have seen him eat) in the summer, and lettuce, squash and pellets in winter. Sprinkled with calcium two days a week.

This summer however, he seems to refuse to eat much besides pellets, even when he's outside! I have offered him all his favorite food and he hardly touches it, but pellets is very popular!

So I'm wondering, is it healthy for the little guy to be eating mostly pellets? For the record I use T-rex pellets for tortoises, 100% vegetable (it says so at least). Or has he just become picky?

Hi,

Pellets are not a good diet for any tortoise as they are high in protein so you need to stop these immediately even if your tortoise refuses to eat you need to be cruel to be kind as he will eat again once he is hungry enough. Stick to weeds such as dandelions, sow thistle and clover, you can find a list on the Tlady site in our links section. You really need to stop the pellets as this is not good for your tortoise.

Ali

Hi there, thanks for your reply =)
I found The Tortoise Table list, which will be very helpful in planting and growing my own collection of food. The pellets have been given during winter after discussing it with a vet, but I'm hoping to be able to feed him "proper" food then as well, in the future.

In any case, feeding him only pellets is not acceptable (and it's expensive too), so today I gave him a big green breakfast of dandelion, clover and wild rose petals - which he happily started gobbling, so I'm positive he'll be fine ^^