Can Tortoises Eat Cauliflower?

Cauliflower belongs to the Brassicaceae family and derives its name from the Latin word "caulis", which means cabbage with a flower. It is an edible green plant whose large flowering head, stalk, and small associated leaves are eaten as a vegetable. Tortoises are known to consume almost any plant, flower, vegetable, or fruit you give them. This is why you should be carefully selecting their food. Is cauliflower part of the vegetables you should avoid in its diet? In this article, we'll find out if cauliflower is good food for your tortoises and its health benefits.

Can Tortoises Eat Cauliflower?

Yes, tortoises can eat cauliflower. Cauliflower is a good vegetable for tortoises, although, it should be given to them in small quantities. However, cauliflower should be given in moderation because it contains a substance called goitrogens, which harms the thyroid gland, liver, and kidney of your tortoises. 

Why Should Cauliflower Be Given In Moderation?

Experts warn that cauliflower should not be given in large quantities because it contains some minerals that can harm your tortoise and damage its organs. Therefore, it should not be given in large quantities and it should not form their main meal. 

Below are a few reasons to not overfeed cauliflower to your pet tortoise:

Cauliflower contains goitrogens

Cauliflower contains a substance called goitrogens. These compounds inhibit the tortoise’s thyroid activity and iodine uptake. A lack of iodine in your tortoise can lead to a condition called hyperthyroidism. 

The oxalate content in cauliflower

Cauliflowers also contain a substance called oxalate or oxalic acid, which can be harmful to tortoises because it inhibits calcium absorption. Although the oxalate content in cauliflower is small, it could inhibit calcium in your tortoise especially if they're still growing, which can be very harmful. Calcium is essential and it helps to strengthen a tortoise’s bones and keeps its shell healthy. A lack of calcium in these animals can cause bone and shell deformation in baby tortoises. 

Cauliflower contains high amounts of purines

Cauliflower is high in purines. Purines, an organic compound breaks down into uric acid in your tortoises. This uric acid then puts a strain on their kidneys and can lead to complications if not looked into. 

Health Benefits Of Cauliflowers For Tortoises

Although cauliflower has harmful effects on tortoises if not taken in moderation, it doesn't change the fact that there are a couple of benefits to giving them to your tortoises. The nutritional content of cauliflower per 100 grams includes; 

1. 5g of total carbohydrate
2. 0.3g of total fat
3. 2g of dietary fiber
4. Water 
5. 1.9g of Protein
6. 30mg of sodium
7. 80% Vitamin C
8. 2% Iron
9. 10% Vitamin B6
10. 0.02% Calcium, and
11. Potassium.

Water

Cauliflower, when served raw is a vegetable with enough water content (80%) to boost the metabolism of your pet tortoise. Hydration is important in your tortoise to help flush out all the nitrogenous waste like phosphates and oxalates.

 

Fiber

This vegetable is rich in fiber and it will help your tortoise with its daily requirement of fiber. Fiber helps the tortoise to digest food and ease its bowel movement. Though the component helps the tortoise, it should be fed in moderation as the extra fiber will hamper the intake of carbohydrates and stop minerals from getting absorbed. 

Cauliflower Contains Vitamins

Cauliflower provides vitamin C and B6 to tortoises. Cauliflower offers a good amount of vitamins C, an important antioxidant that helps tortoises to tolerate stressful environments. Your tortoises need a good dose of food packed with vitamins C because sometimes, the intestine and the kidneys may not produce enough quantities of them. This might result in a condition called Stomatitis or poor wound healing because of blood clotting problems. 

On the other hand, Vitamin B6 is required for the proper functioning of the tortoise's sugars, fats, and proteins. It is also required for the development of the brain, nerves, skin, and many other body parts.

A lack of these vitamins in your tortoise's diet could be fatal. Therefore, you can make sure your pet doesn't lack these nutrients by giving a cauliflower diet.

Cauliflower contains minerals

Cauliflower contains minerals but on a very small scale. It is not a rich source of minerals. Cauliflower contains potassium, 2% Iron, 0.02% Calcium, and 30mg of sodium. Cauliflowers, however, can not fulfill all the tortoise's daily requirements of calcium. Therefore, it should be served with other calcium-rich vegetables to support its shell and bone structure, nerve transmission, muscle growth, and contraction. 

Should Tortoises Eat Raw Cauliflower?

Unlike humans, tortoises (some species) are herbivores or vegetarians, so they would prefer to eat vegetables raw than when cooked. So yes, raw cauliflower is preferred to cooked cauliflower. Of course, it is also how tortoises would eat it in the wild with no one to cook for them. However, the most important reason why you shouldn't cook cauliflower for your pet tortoise is that cooking this vegetable destroys some of the nutrients in them. A nutrient-deficient meal if taken over time can lead to malnourishment and can get serious if your tortoise is still tender and growing. Tortoises would prefer raw cauliflower to a cooked one, so don't bother cooking. 

What Is The Best Way To Feed Tortoises Cauliflower?

Many pet owners ask for the best way to feed tortoises cauliflowers, we'll look into that. To feed tortoises cauliflowers,

• The first safety step is to ensure that you purchase organic cauliflower vegetables and not bio-engineered ones.
• Then, wash it thoroughly to remove all the harmful pesticides and sprays that might have deposited on them. 
• After that, you can choose to chop it into fine pieces for easy munching, or, if your tortoise is an adult, you can offer a whole chunk. Don't worry, it'll handle it just fine.
• Then, serve with other veggies like carrots, cucumber, cabbage, kale, pumpkin, and butternut squash, deficient in goitrogen and rich in minerals for a balanced diet.

Tip: Cauliflowers should never be given with broccolis because they both contain goitrogens. 

Final Thoughts

Cauliflower is a good vegetable for tortoises and they can eat it. Although, it should be given to them in small quantities. Serve cauliflowers to tortoise in moderation, not more than 2-3 times per week.