Are Greek Tortoise's Allowed To Eat Cabbage?

[Suemoni]

My beautifl 6 year old tortoise Fred is a very picky eater. He knows what he likes and that's basically all he'll eat. He loves frozen stringbeans and and his flavorful tortoise dry food. Once in awhile I can get Fred to munch on leafy vegetables. TThe other day I gave him some raw cabbage surprisingly he ate it all up right along with his helping of stringbeans. I'm curious to know if cabbage is good for a Greek tortoise. I know there are certain leafy vegetables that are not good for torts, but I'm not sure about cabbage. Any help would be appreciated cause he really loves this cabbage.

 

[Yvonne G]

Being in the brassica family, cabbage is one of the types of food that cause goiter if fed frequently. Its ok occasionally. Here's an excerpt from the Tortoise Trust's web site:

Feeding

Mediterranean tortoises in the wild consume mainly flowers, stalks, and green leaves. They rarely encounter fruit, and never encounter tinned dog food, ice-cream, bread, pizza, cheese, cakes or some of the other bizarre “treats” some people seem to think they should be offered. Most of the tortoises that are fed these inappropriate diets suffer serious, permanent, damage as a result. Many die. Don’t do it – and if you are given a tortoise addicted to such foods, break the addiction immediately. Do not give in, but allow the tortoise to become sufficiently hungry so that it resumes a normal, healthy diet. This may take some time – in the interim, offer only safe and healthy foods.

In captivity, a high fiber, low protein and calcium-rich diet will ensure good digestive tract function and smooth shell growth. Mediterranean tortoises fed on cat or dog food, or other high protein food items such as peas or beans, frequently die from renal failure or from impacted bladder stones of solidified urates. Peas and beans are also very high in phytic acid, which, like oxalic acid, inhibits calcium uptake. Avoid reliance upon ‘supermarket’ greens and fruits which typically contain inadequate fiber levels, excessive pesticide residues, and are too rich in sugar. Fruit should be given very sparingly or not at all as it frequently leads to diarrhea, intestinal parasite proliferation, and colic in these species. Fruit is, however, a routine part of the diet of many tropical species. See separate caresheets and information relating to these. They are totally different from Mediterranean species.

 

[Tom]

The above post says it all.