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Recommended Herbivore Diet |
Critter Care Index Page Herbivore Diet Page (you are here)
We recommend daily combinations of several of the following items:
Small amounts no more than once a week of:
Item Name Protein, gm* Calcium, mg* Energy, kcal* Beet Greens (only small amounts**) 1.82 119 19 Bermuda Grass (fresh)*** 1.16 53 Broccoli, including Leaves & Stems 2.98 48 28 Chard, Swiss (only small amounts**) 1.80 51 19 Chicory Greens 1.70 100 23 Cilantro 2.02 67 24 Collards 2.45 145 30 Dandelion Greens 2.70 187 45 Edible Pod Peas including Snow Peas 2.80 43 42 Grape Leaves 5.60 363 93 Green Beans 1.82 37 31 Hibiscus Flowers and Leaves Kale 3.30 135 50 Mulberry Leaves Mustard Greens 2.70 103 26 Okra 2.00 81 33 Parsley 2.97 138 36 Prickly Pear (spineless) 0.73 56 41 Rose Petals Spinach (only small amounts**) 2.86 99 22 Turnip Greens 1.50 190 27
| Primate biscuits (soaked in water) | |||
| Strawberries | 0.61 | 14 | 30 |
| Tofu (firm, prepared w/ Calcium Sulfate) | 15.78 | 683 | 145 |
| * | Nutritional values are totals per 100 gram portion and are intended for comparison. This information is from the USDA (will open in a new window). |
| ** | Contains oxalic acid which binds with calcium and makes it unusable. |
| *** | Nutritional values are totals per 100 gram portion and are intended for comparison. This information is from the Tortuga Gazette 25(7): 6-7, July 1989 (will open in a new window) Note: these figures appear to be off by a factor of 10 and have been adjusted here on this page. |
Whenever possible and appropriate, herbivores should be kept outside. This allows good exposure to sunlight which is very important. In addition, grasses such as hybrid bermuda grass (tif) make an excellent diet since it contains a good balance of nutrients as well as roughage that store-bought greens lack.
The meals for your herbivore should consist of several of the items above chopped and tossed with a calcium supplement (that does not include phosphorus) such as a fine calcium carbonate powder to make a "salad". This prevents the animal from developing a taste for a particular item and helps to balance the diet. This "salad" may be made up for several days to a week in advance. It is always a good idea to vary the diet to help ensure optimum nutrition. We generally recommend avoiding cabbage and others in the same family unless listed above. To prevent dehydration items such as tomatos and cucumbers may be included. Primate Biscuits should not be fed more often than once per week.
Baby tortoises require more protein in their diet than adults. There we recommend including dichondra grass and alfalfa in addition to Bermuda Grass growing in their outdoor enclosures to supplement the above items. Baby Yellow-foot of Red-foot tortoises can also have a small amount of cantaloupe, grapes, strawberries, peaches, apricots, or watermelon to the above diet. This fruit should be less than 20% of the total diet.
This diet is appropriate for green iguanas, tortoises, and other herbivores.
This page last updated May 18, 1999
| Exotic Enterprises - Tucson, Arizona |
Critter Care Index Page Herbivore Diet Page (you are here)