Obesity can be a problem for most animals, but is it also a problem for tortoises? Tortoises don’t seem the kind of animals that could get fat, after all, their body is mostly covered by a shell. But unfortunately for tortoises, this doesn’t mean that they can’t get fat or overweight.
Tortoises can get fat or overweight. If a tortoise gets overweight it can have a lot of bad effects on its health, due to all the fat surrounding the internal organs. A fat turtle will also have trouble tucking in its shell due to the fat deposits on its limbs and necks, which can result in scratches and bruises.
While getting fat for a tortoise can be a very dangerous thing, it’s still something that can be easily solved as long as you take care of the problem properly. So in the rest of the article, we are going to see how to solve this problem and how to prevent it from happening again. But first, let’s see what happens when turtles get fat.
Why It’s Dangerous for a Tortoise to Be Fat or Overweight
We all know that obesity is bad for a lot of reasons, but in the case of tortoises, there are even more.
A tortoise’s body is mostly covered by a shell, which is part of its body. Inside the shell are all the vital organs of a tortoise, heart, lungs, stomach, etc. there is very little room for fat to be there. And as a result, after the inside is filled up, most of the fat will go to the limbs and neck, which can be very dangerous.
In this picture, you can see the fat gathering at the base of the leg.
We all know that tortoises have a tendency to hide in their shell when they are stressed, scared, and even when they sleep. But if they become overweight this will become a real problem.
When an obese tortoise tries to hide in its shell, it can easily hurt itself, by inflicting bruises and scratches where the skin hits the shell.
While a few bruises and scratches are not too dangerous on their own, after some time of continuously scratching and bruising the same area there will long term health problems. And there is always the chance that one of those scratches can get infected.
In the case of a wild tortoise, this can mean that they won’t be able to hide quickly enough if they are attacked by a predator, so they will become an easy target for them. For a pet tortoise, this is not necessarily a problem since there are no predators nearby. B
There is also the weight problem itself. Tortoises are already quite heavy for their small bodies, and adding more weight will only end up adding more pressure on them. And after enough weight is added they will barely be able to move.
So overall tortoise obesity is very bad and harmful. But now, let’s take a close look at how to prevent it, and what to do if it happens.
How to Feed a Tortoise so It Doesn’t Get Fat or Overweight
The reason why most tortoises get fat or overweight is that they are not fed properly, but this can be easily fixed.
The simplest way to find the right amount of food for your tortoise is to follow the size of the head method.
The easiest way to put this method into practice is to find a small container, like a medicine cup, a shot glass, or a bottle cap. This container has to be approximately the same size as the head of your tortoise, without the neck. Then you fill that container to the top, and then you can feed the food inside the container to your tortoise.
You don’t always have to use a container, you can always just estimate the food that you would need to fill its head. If you sometimes give your tortoise a little too much food, and sometimes you give it a little too much, things will be just fine. Your tortoise won’t be affected by small differences.
This method works great because it takes into consideration the size of the tortoise, and gives you a fixed amount of food that you have to give your tortoise. And as the tortoise grows the amount of food will change.
With this method is also very easy to determine how often you have to feed your tortoise. If you follow this method you will have to feed a hatchling every day, a juvenile tortoise every two days, and an adult tortoise once every three days.
Most tortoise species have different growth rates, but in general, a tortoise is considered a hatchling until it reaches 4 inches in length (shell length), at that point, they become a juvenile. A tortoise is usually a juvenile it reaches the age of 5, after that, they become an adult.
What to Feed Your Tortoise so It Doesn’t Get Fat or Overweight
Now that you know how to properly feed your tortoise, let’s see what you should actually be feeding them.
Most tortoises are herbivorous, which means that they only eat, plants, fruits, and vegetables, so no meat. But not all fruits, or vegetables are good, some of them ca be very harmful to a tortoise, so you have to be careful.
Fruits
Most fruits are good to eat, but there are some that aren’t good for tortoises due to the high amount of phosphorus or citric acid that they contain.
Citric acid irritates the stomach of a tortoise, and phosphorus blocks the absorption of calcium shock is essential for a healthy bone structure and shell.
So instead of having an endless list of fruits that are safe for tortoises, I will make a list of fruits that you should avoid. If you don’t find a fruit on this list then it’s completely safe for a tortoise.
So here is a list of fruit that you should avoid:
- Raisin
- Prune
- Date
- Avocado
- Guava
- Banana
- Coconut
- Kivi
- Persimmon
- Cantaloupe
- Apricot
- Pomegranate
- Honeydew
- Nectarine
- Mulberry
- Peach
And as a general idea you should remember that citrus fruits are bad for tortoises so make sure to avoid:
- Oranges
- Lemons
- Limes
- Grapefruit
- Citron
- Pomelo
For a complete list of citric fruits, you can check out this Wikipedia page, but the ones that I
So if you don’t find fruit on this list, it’s good to eat.
If you want a more in-depth explanation of fruits and tortoises you can always check out my article: Can Turtles Eat Fruits? (How Much, How Often + List)
Vegetables
Just like fruits, vegetables are great for tortoises, but there are some that contain a lot of phosphorus. Besides those other vegetables that you should avoid are iceberg salad, cucumbers, eggplants, and mushrooms. While those vegetables won’t harm your tortoise in any way, they also have little to no nutritional value for your tortoise.
Here is a list of some vegetables that contain a high amount of phosphorus, which you should avoid:
- Corn
- Tomatoes
- Asparagus
- Beets
- Peppers
- Pumpkin
- Cauliflower
- Brussels Sprouts
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Sweet potatoes
- Green Beans
- Squash
- Romaine Lettuce
- Turnips
So if you don’t find a vegetable on this list, it’s good to eat.
Plants
One of the most interesting things about tortoises, whether they are wild or not, is that they somehow know on their own if a plant is safe for them to eat or not.
While this won’t happen 100% of the time, if they have a well-balanced diet they won’t go around eating every plant in your house or your garden.
If you were to give them some of those plants mixed in with their food they would probably eat them, so don’t do this.
Here is a short list of some of the most common and toxic plants for tortoises:
- Amaryllis
- Asparagus Fern
- Avocado Leaves
- Azalea
- Begonia
- Boxwood
- Buttercups
- Calla Lily
- Castor Bean
- Crowfoot
- Daffodil
- Ficus
- Holly
- Iris
- Ivy
- Juniper
- Nightshade Family
- Poinsettia
- Primrose
What to Do If Your Tortoise Is Fat or Overweight
If your tortoise is overweight there are a few things that you can do, depending on how overweight it is.
If your tortoise just put on a little weight and it’s nothing major, I would suggest you simply identify what could be the cause. If you think that you feed your tortoise too much food then you simply have to adjust its diet according to the way I described in this article. If your tortoise didn’t have enough space to move around then just make sure that you get it a proper tank.
If your tortoise is dangerously overweight, or if the methods above didn’t work, then you should definitely go to a vet. This might be one of the few cases where the cause can be something medical, and have nothing to do with diet or exercise. Those cases are relatively rare, but this doesn’t mean that it can’t be the case. So if you think that you should go to the vet then you should do it.
Related Questions
Do tortoises grow to the size of their tank? No, how big a tortoise will grow depends on its species and the living conditions. If you have a very small tank, there is a good chance that your tortoise will outgrow it.
Can I make my tortoise grow faster? Besides taking proper care of your tortoise there is nothing else that you can do. You just have to wait for your tortoise to grow.
Can tortoises recognize their owners? Tortoises can recognize you and they will understand that you play an important part in their lives, but they will not feel any familiarity towards you like dogs or cats would. Overall tortoises recognize their owners but not in a way you would expect. You can always read more about this in my article: Can Tortoises Recognize Their Owners?
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