Can Tortoises Eat Avocado?

All species of tortoise are different and they have all different nutritional needs so it’s important to know what kind of tortoise you have so you can tailor to their needs. Fruit is usually too tough on the digestive system of most tortoises, even though they enjoy the sweetness. However red and yellow-footed tortoises are equipped with a digestive system strong enough to handle fruits so it should make up some of their diet. Are all fruits safe for tortoises though? What about avocado? Let’s find out.

Can tortoises eat avocado? No tortoises can’t eat avocado and it shouldn’t be fed to them under any circumstances. No part of the avocado is edible for your pet and can cause serious illness like diarrhea, stomach upset and even death. This is due to avocado containing persin which is a fungicidal toxin that will harm your tortoise.

In this article I’m going to explain in further detail why avocado is bad for tortoises along with what foods are safe for them instead so read on!

Why Is Avocado Bad For Tortoises?

What makes avocado so toxic for tortoises? Let’s look at some of the reasons.

Persin

A fungicidal toxin, persin is toxic to many animal species including our beloved reptiles. It’s contained inside the leaves, seeds and skin of the avocado making the entire fruit toxic to all kinds of species.

The effects persin has on your tortoise are :

  • Digestive problems
  • Diarrhea
  • In some cases, death

Oxalic Acid (Oxolate)

Oxalic acid is an organic compound found in many plants like leafy greens, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. It’s often called an anti-nutrient which makes it produces negative effects on the body. Oxolate binds to calcium in your tortoise and prevents your tortoise from being able to utilize this mineral, leading to a calcium deficiency.

In just one avocado there is 19mg of oxalic acid. Calcium is extremely important in a tortoises diet it helps their nervous system, aids in skeletal growth and it’s important for shell health and growth.

Small amounts of oxalic acid isn’t toxic however it should be avoided as it can cause kidney stones or gout.

Can Tortoises Eat Avocado Leaves?

Avocado leaves are no different to the flesh and pit, they also contain persin that contain are toxic to your tortoise.

Many owners might feed them to their tortoises as they aren’t actually part of the avocado but this is a mistake and can still harm your reptile. Feeding avocado leaves to your tortoise will also result in an increased heartbeat, digestive upset, diarrhea and possibly even death in large amounts.

My Tortoise Has Ate Avocado What Should I Do?

The first thing you should do is contact a tortoise vet as it’s better not to take any chances with your precious pet. They will then ask you certain questions like how old your tortoise is, how much avocado have the eaten and some other things they need to know.

How your tortoise responds to it depends on the species, age, size and amount of persin they have consumed however as it’s toxic to all kinds of tortoises it’s best to seek professional help and exercise caution. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

What Foods Can Your Tortoise Eat?

We know avocado is bad for our tortoises so what foods can tortoises eat? This mainly depends on the species of your reptile as they all have different nutritional requirements.

Russian Tortoises

They are in the group of ‘grassland’ tortoises they come from natives areas and the majority of their diet should be made up of leafy greens and grasses. Like many domesticated animals you want to replicate foods that they would eat out in the wild.

Safe foods to feed Russian tortoises include :

  • Romaine lettuce
  • Collard Greens
  • Mustard Greens
  • Beet greens
  • Carrots
  • Squash
  • Bell peppers

If your tortoise is playing around outside it’s important to be aware of some pesticides that have been sprayed on the plants, they could make your tort ill.

Hermann Tortoise

A hermann tortoises diet should mainly consist of vegetation, with the majority of this being leafy greens. They should be fed once a day for five a days, some examples of foods they should eat are :

  • Dandelions
  • Watercress
  • Rocket
  • Parsley
  • Coriander
  • Parsnip
  • Bell peppers

Avocado For Tortoises – Summary

Avocados isn’t a safe option to give to your tortoise due to the persin and oxalic acid inside the fruit. Don’t worry though there are plenty of other fruits out there that they can safely eat and not come to any harm. If your tortoise is one of the fruit eating species then they can have berries, watermelon, kiwi, oranges and some other fruit.

It shouldn’t be a staple in their diet however as fruits should only make up around 5-10% of your torts daily diet.

Related reading : Can tortoises eat asparagus?