Baby Sulcata Tortoise Diet Sheet
A healthy diet should include about 80 grass weeds and hay.
Baby sulcata tortoise diet sheet. Wild sulcata tortoises therefore get sufficient calcium by eating the grasses that grow in these calcium laden soils. Sulcata tortoises reach sexual maturity at about 6 years old and stop growing at around age 15. The sahel area of africa where sulcata naturally occur is a semi arid region that has calcium rich soils. Sulcata tortoises are primarily grass eaters.
African spurred tortoises are herbivorous grazing tortoises and need a high fiber low protein diet. Sulcatas are a grazing species. At least 75 of their diet should be given as grasses and hays along with some edible weeds and flowers. Small amounts of other leafy green vegetables are okay but avoid foods high in oxalates.
Growing rapidly a 2 inch baby sulcata tortoise hatchling can reach sizes of over 10 in a 18 months and 18 in 24 months. Some of the care sheets and also some of the books written on the care of baby sulcatas are based on the mistaken and deadly premise that the sulcata is a desert dwelling animal. Sulcata tortoises require a great deal of calcium in their diet to help them grow healthy bones and shells.