If they come across mushrooms in the wild, I’m sure they’ll eat them. I occasionally feed them to my leopards and sulcatas. They are extremely fond of them.
I’m not very good at identifying mushrooms; knowing which ones are safe to eat requires either being a turtle or a mycologist. However, whenever my box turtles and redfoot tortoises came across light-brown, garden-variety mushrooms (whatever they were), they would eat them. I’m just not sure if my Russian torts would be interested in such things. Probably not, given their origins in drier climates. It’s also dry here, which explains why they haven’t found any mushrooms yet. Still, I’m curious as to what they’d do if they were given one.
My boys appear to prefer brown to white, large chunks to whole or sliced.
Wild mushrooms are high in vitamin D2, making them one of the few plant sources of ANY type of vitamin D. This is not the case with farm-raised mushrooms, which, as far as I can tell, receive little to no UV light while growing.
They are filling and nutritious, with very few sugars or fats. They are high in fiber and vitamins, and they also taste great.
Most wild tortoises eat a variety of fungi in addition to mushrooms, and many of these fungi are edible, and some are even said to be quite tasty.
Personally, I let my tortoises eat whatever fungi they find in their outdoor pens, but I only feed them store-bought food indoors.
Some of the more common edible Mushrooms include: Agaricus bisporus (Button/Chestnut/Portobello Mushroom), Agaricus campestris (Field Mushroom), Lycoperdon perlatum (Puffball), Cantharellus cibarius (Chanterelle), Boletus edulis (Cep/Porcini), Clitocybe nuda (Wood Blewit/Blue Stalk), Macrolepiota procera (Parasol), Lentinula edodes (Shiitake), Pleurotus ostreatus (Oyster), and other types known to be edible.
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Can Tortoises eat Raw Mushrooms?
There is nothing wrong with feeding raw mushrooms. I have been feeding for 30 years. They’d come across in the wild. It’s not a problem as long as they’re the mushrooms you and I would eat.
Can Hermann Tortoises eat Mushrooms?
Yes, they are popular with my Hermanns. I’ve fed them to Greeks, Russians, Leopards, and Stars, as well as Hingebacks, Box Turtles, Redfoots, Yellowfoots, Spots, and Asian Box Turtles.
My Box turtles, Redfoots, Manouria, and Hingebacks consume them on a daily basis. I haven’t given any of them to my grassland tortoises.
I strongly advise against feeding any “wild” mushrooms because, as previously stated, they are extremely difficult to identify (although I morel hunt, very successfully, every spring.) Box turtles have been observed eating “poisonous” varieties. It actually imparts toxic properties to their bodies. As a result, Native Americans believed that eating Box turtles was poisonous. However, there is far too much danger in poisoning and killing your tortoises or turts. Stick to store-bought mushrooms š Portabellas are my herd’s favorite.
Can Sulcata Tortoises eat Mushrooms?
None of my Hermanns, regardless of subspecies, are particularly fond of mushrooms. In fact, they’ll usually eat everything around the mushrooms before they eat the mushrooms themselves. Given their dietary preferences, it’s unlikely that many wild Hermann’s populations live in forests. They live in sparsely forested meadows and along brush lines.
None of my other Marginateds, Iberas, or Russians are interested in mushrooms. Redfoots and Burmese Browns are the only tortoises I’ve ever had who show a passing interest in mushrooms until I discovered a trick.
Mushrooms don’t provide much nutrition, with the exception of vitamin D, which is insignificant. In fact, their calcium to phosphorus ratio is atrocious.
Mushrooms are not harmful when consumed as part of a healthy, varied diet, but they also do not provide any significant dietary value. I’d rather use another, more nutritious vegetable in their place.
To get them to eat it, rub some mazuri on the mushrooms, which may give them more “flavor.” My star torts liked it so much that they began to eat more un-rubbed mushrooms.
Can Marginated Tortoises eat Mushrooms?
You can feed mushrooms, yes.
I discovered another Med edible fungi, the Puff Ball; I’ve eaten these wild growing in Autumn, and they’re delicious. When cut in half, it must be pure white flesh with no gills inside. It has a dubious imitator in the form of an Amanita, which has a purple tinge inside.
Can Horsfield Tortoises eat Mushrooms?
There is nothing wrong with mushrooms. IĀ have been feeding for 30 years. They’d come across in the wild. It’s not a problem as long as they’re the mushrooms you and I would eat.
Can Desert Tortoises eat Mushrooms?
There is nothing wrong with mushrooms. IĀ have been feeding for 30 years. They’d come across in the wild. It’s not a problem as long as they’re the mushrooms you and I would eat.
Can Red Footed Tortoises eat Mushrooms?
There is nothing wrong with mushrooms. IĀ have been feeding for 30 years. They’d come across in the wild. It’s not a problem as long as they’re the mushrooms you and I would eat.
Can Leopard Tortoises eat Mushrooms?
There is nothing wrong with mushrooms. IĀ have been feeding for 30 years. They’d come across in the wild. It’s not a problem as long as they’re the mushrooms you and I would eat.
Can Russian Tortoises eat Mushrooms?
There is nothing wrong with mushrooms. IĀ have been feeding for 30 years. They’d come across in the wild. It’s not a problem as long as they’re the mushrooms you and I would eat.
Can Greek Tortoises eat Mushrooms?
There is nothing wrong with mushrooms. IĀ have been feeding for 30 years. They’d come across in the wild. It’s not a problem as long as they’re the mushrooms you and I would eat.
Can RedFoot Tortoises eat Mushrooms?
There is nothing wrong with mushrooms. IĀ have been feeding for 30 years. They’d come across in the wild. It’s not a problem as long as they’re the mushrooms you and I would eat.