Can tortoises eat apricots?
Most pet tortoises are better off without apricots. Many of the tortoise species commonly kept in the UK naturally eat a very low-sugar diet of weeds, leaves and grasses, and apricots — sweeter than most fruit, with a stone that must never be fed — sit well outside that and can genuinely disrupt digestion if given regularly.
Picked for your pet
Tortoise Feeding Kit
Komodo tortoise salad mix, hay cakes, a flower treat bar and calcium supplement for a balanced tortoise diet.
£20.49
Pettex Reptile Tortoise
Calcium-added tortoise substrate, 10 litres, for arid-habitat tortoises and lizards
£9.99
Komodo Tortoise Eco Terrain
Soil and sand substrate for arid tortoises, deep enough to burrow in, 10 litres
£9.99
Komodo Tortoise Leaf Mix
A 100G dried botanical leaf mix as a complementary treat for tortoises and other reptiles
£5.29
Why fruit doesn't suit most pet tortoises
Species such as Hermann's and spur-thighed tortoises, among the most commonly kept in the UK, evolved eating a diet high in fibre and very low in sugar — mostly weeds, flowers and leafy plants rather than fruit. Their digestive systems, including the gut bacteria that help process food, are built around that pattern rather than around sugary fruit.
Apricots carry more natural sugar than many fruits already considered unsuitable for these species, and keepers and reptile vets commonly advise against making any fruit a regular part of the diet, even though a small taste now and then is unlikely to cause immediate harm. The concern is digestive disruption over time rather than acute poisoning.
The stone is a separate, real risk
If apricot is ever offered, the stone must always be removed completely first. Stones are a genuine choking and blockage hazard for an animal this size, and stones from apricots and related fruit also contain compounds that are best avoided altogether regardless of the amount.
This applies whatever species of tortoise you keep and however occasionally fruit is offered — a stone left in is never something to rely on a tortoise avoiding by itself. Cut the fruit away from the stone rather than assuming it will be left uneaten.
What tortoises actually need instead
A varied mix of weeds, leafy greens and flowers, high in fibre and low in sugar and protein, is what most commonly kept pet tortoise species need as the bulk of their diet, rather than fruit or vegetables intended for other pets.
Exactly what suits your tortoise depends heavily on species, since diets vary more between tortoise species than between most other commonly kept pets. A reptile-experienced vet or a specialist tortoise resource is a better source of species-specific feeding guidance than general advice covering tortoises as one group.
Why species identification matters here
Getting your tortoise's species right, rather than assuming all pet tortoises eat the same way, is one of the more important things a new keeper can do. A diet that suits a Hermann's tortoise can be entirely wrong for a different species with different natural feeding habits.
If you are unsure what species your tortoise is, a reptile-experienced vet or an established keepers' group can usually help identify it from photos and basic characteristics, which then makes it far easier to find reliable, species-specific feeding guidance rather than relying on generic information.
More for your pet
Things we stock that owners commonly reach for here. Nothing on this page depends on you buying one.
Komodo Tortoise Fruit Mix
A fruit-based treat mix for tortoises, made from dandelion, aronia berries, strawberry and redcurrants
£5.29
Komodo Tortoise Food Salad Mix
A complete holistic tortoise diet flavoured to taste like fresh salad
£7.29
Komodo Tortoise Food Cucumber
A complete holistic tortoise diet in cucumber flavour, high in fibre
£7.29
Common questions
- Is apricot toxic to tortoises?
- Not usually in the sense of being acutely poisonous, but it is generally unsuitable as a regular food for the species most commonly kept as pets, because of its sugar content compared with their natural diet. The stone is the more acute risk and must always be removed.
- Can any tortoise species eat fruit occasionally?
- Some tropical or more omnivorous species tolerate occasional fruit better than the Mediterranean species commonly kept in the UK, but this varies enough between species that it is worth checking with a reptile-experienced vet for your specific tortoise.
- What should I feed my tortoise instead of apricots?
- A varied mix of weeds, leafy greens and flowers, high in fibre and low in sugar, suits most commonly kept pet tortoise species far better than fruit intended for other pets. What exactly suits your tortoise depends on its species.
- My tortoise ate an apricot with the stone in — what should I do?
- Contact a reptile-experienced vet. A swallowed stone is a genuine choking and blockage risk for an animal this size, and it is worth having your tortoise checked rather than waiting to see if it passes through on its own.
- How do I find out what species my tortoise is?
- A reptile-experienced vet or an established tortoise-keeping group can generally help identify the species from photos and a few basic characteristics if you are unsure. Knowing the species properly makes it much easier to get feeding advice that actually applies to your tortoise.
Related
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Written against guidance published by UK veterinary and welfare organisations. Always confirm specifics with your own vet.
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.