ORLANDO, Fla. — Disney World has prepared special treats for some of the residents at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in celebration of National Pumpkin Day. 

Several animals at the park have been able to partake in pumpkin-based treats created by Disney’s animal nutritionists. Among the animals enjoying the seasonal snack are the giant Galapagos tortoises. 

The six tortoises are named Phantom, Dracula, Frankenstein, Mummy, Creature and Wolfman, and are known affectionately as the “monsters” of Discovery Island. 

As herbivores, the large reptiles’ diets would typically consist of different types of vegetation, such as grasses and plants. Pumpkins are not something they would usually get, but they love devouring the carved pumpkins from their keeps. And the snacks are more than just treats, they also provide plenty of nutritional benefits, including vitamins, minerals and fiber or digestive health.

“Pumpkins are one of those things that we can add into our animal’s diet to make things fun,” said Shannon Livingston, an animal nutritionist with Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment. “It’s not something they’re going to get normally. It’s a very seasonal item, just like it is for the rest of us.”

The pumpkin and other treats are created by the animal nutritionists at the park’s Animal Nutrition Center — a backstage area where food for more than 5,000 animals at Disney World is prepared every day. 

This season, teams are delivering more than 200 pumpkins to animals at the resort. But not all animals will eat them. Some will play with the pumpkins, which serve as enrichment or stimulation, when added to their habitat.

“It’s an item that animals can eat, they can play with, can forage in — and it’s really just something fun and different,” Livingston said.