
Other suitable foods that freshwater turtles eat?
- Mealworms
- Bloodworms
- Crayfish
- Ghost Shrimp
- Minnows
- Waxworms
- Collard Greens
- Beet Greens
- Mustard Greens
- Broccoli
What are good feeder fish for water turtles?
- Neons Tetras
- Danios
- Mbuna cichlid: Yellow lab
- Peacock cichlid
- Lake Tanganyika cichlid: Frontosa
- Lake Victoria cichlid
- Jewel cichlid
- Central America ciclids: Convict, Oscars
What can I Feed my turtle Besides turtle food?
What to Feed Wild Box Turtles
- Insects; earthworms, mealworms, crickets, and grasshoppers.
- Vegetables; peas, carrots, squash, okra, sweet potatoes, green beans, turnip leaves, dandelion leaves, romaine lettuce, collard greens and mustard greens.
- Fruit; peaches, blackberries, apples, plums, raspberries, mulberries, pears, mango, bananas, cherries, and melons.
What fruits can I Feed my turtles?
Part 1 Part 1 of 2: Knowing What to Feed Your Turtle Download Article
- Feed them fruit and vegetables. Turtles have a varied diet which includes fruit and vegetables as well as meat. ...
- Provide live food. Unlike tortoises, turtles also eat meat. ...
- Use high quality pellets. ...
- Get the right balance of food and vitamins. ...
- Provide constant access to water. ...
What plants are toxic to turtles?
What food is poisonous to turtles?
- Amaryllis (Amaryllis belladonna)
- Carolina Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)
- Asparagus Fern (Asparagus sprengerii)
- Avocado (leaves, seeds) (Persea americana)
- Azalea, Rhododendron species.
- Bird of Paradise shrub (Poinciana gilliesii/Caesalpinia gilliesii)

What do you feed fresh water turtles?
- Fruits and vegetables: Fill up the remainder of your turtle's daily diet with fresh produce. The best veggies are chopped dark leafy greens such as kale, collard, and mustard greens, Dr. Starkey says. Shredded carrots, squash, and zucchini are great foods that turtles can eat, too.
What do freshwater turtles eat in captivity?
0:041:14What Do Freshwater Turtles Eat? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThey will eat in captivity most people feed them goldfish. And minnows fish are okay but you do needMoreThey will eat in captivity most people feed them goldfish. And minnows fish are okay but you do need to give them a variety of diet.
How often should I feed my freshwater turtle?
0:4310:01How Much to FEED a Turtle? How Often to Feed Turtles? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipInstructions I see a lot of different ways people say you should do it so some of the most commonMoreInstructions I see a lot of different ways people say you should do it so some of the most common ways are either you feed your turtle. However much it can eat in 15 minutes or you give them a set
What human food can I feed my turtle?
Fresh Fruits and Veggies They especially like leafy green veggies, so kale, collard greens, and mustard greens are both healthy and delicious for them. They'll also chow down on carrots, squash, green beans, and peas. As far as fruits go, you can give them bananas, apples, and pears, among other things.
Do turtles eat lettuce?
In addition to most lettuces, turtles tend to enjoy leafy green vegetables — think kale, spinach, collard greens, etc. Not only will your turtle love these, but they're also filled with important vitamins and minerals.
How Long Can turtles go without eating?
A young turtle (less than six months old) can't go a day without eating. A so-called “sub-adult” turtle (six months to one year old) can't go more than a day without eating. An adult turtle should eat, on average, every 2-3 days.
How do I know if my turtle is hungry?
Most turtles, especially young ones, should be fed daily. For an adult box turtle, a day's food would be three tablespoons of the vegetable mixture and a couple of earthworms. You know your turtle is hungry when it begins to roam around its enclosure checking the place where you feed it.
Can water turtles eat lettuce?
Desirable vegetables to offer include dark leafy greens such as romaine lettuce, collard greens, mustard greens, carrot tops, endive, Swiss chard, kale, parsley, green beans, dandelion greens, turnip greens, and clover.
How often do I change turtle water?
At least once a week: Replace some of the water in the tank with clean water. Even if your turtles' swimming water looks fine, it could be high in ammonia or nitrite. Every two to three weeks: Clean out the whole tank and refresh the filter.
What food kills turtles?
For example, tomatoes are safe and they're often a favorite of box turtles. But tomato leaves and vines are toxic. Other plants toxic to box turtles include rhubarb leaves, holly, oleander, avocado leaves and seeds, and plants in the nightshade family.
Do turtles eat bread?
Turtles Can't Digest Bread Since turtles eat animal and plant-based matter, you might not think about dairy being such a bad choice. However, dairy products contain lactose, which your turtles cannot break down in their system, as their bodies do not have the correct enzymes to make that happen.
Can water turtles eat dog food?
Never feed your turtle cat food or dog food. It has too much protein and can cause long term damage. Water turtles are a different story. They can only eat under water.
What do you feed a turtle?
Article Summary X. To feed your turtle, give it lots of green, leafy vegetables, like kale and parsley. You can also feed it fruit and flowers, like apples, bananas, and carnations. However, try to provide your turtle with 4-5 times more vegetables than fruits.
What do turtles eat?
Turtles have varied diets including fruit and vegetables as well as insects, worms and fish. To care for your turtle you need to understand what food your turtle needs and how often you should feed him. The exact amounts will vary from turtle to turtle, but there are some general guidelines to follow.
How to help an aquatic turtle?
Feeding an aquatic turtle small live fish can help stimulate him and give him some exercise. Using vegetables that float is preferable to those that sink for an aquatic turtle. If you dust your food with a vitamin supplement, be aware that this can rub off in the water. Using pellets can be a way to tackle this.
How to help a turtle with calcium?
Using supplements can help to ensure your turtle gets all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Consider dusting food with calcium and vitamin supplements before offering it to your turtle. Add the calcium supplement to his food twice a week. If you are unsure about the right balance for your turtle speak to your vet.
How to keep a turtle healthy?
Get the right balance of food and vitamins. For a creature with a diet as varied as a turtle, getting a good balance of all the different dietary elements is important to maintain your turtle's health and well-being.
What vegetables are good for a sourdough bread?
Good vegetable choices include kale, parsley, green beans, bell peppers, and cabbage. Small amounts of spinach and broccoli are also good choices. Flowers including carnations, roses and hibiscus can be added for variety. For the fruit content use apples, bananas, pears, grapes, kiwi and melon. ...
Do turtles need pellets?
If you are trying to replicate how a turtle would feed in the wild, however, the pellets are less authentic than fresh greens and insects. If you use pellets try to make them part of a balance with fresh food .
Turtle Habits and Biology
What do you know about tortoises and turtles? First off, turtles have been around longer. Which means a tortoise is a type of turtle. And turtles are popular enough that people volunteered and rescued them during that infamous Texas blackout. The turtles were cold-stunned.
Do Turtles Eat Dirt?
In the US, turtles are mostly kept as pets. Some turtle farms breed them for research and export. In Asia, turtle farms supply these reptiles for food and medicine. So what your turtles eat may depend on where they live and why you keep them. Herbivorous or omnivorous turtles eat bugs and insects in addition to algae, grass, and plants.
What Do Turtles Like to Eat Most?
If you got your turtle from the pet store, the staff can probably tell you what species your new pet is. So they can advise you on their preference (herbivore/carnivore/omnivore). In the wild, turtles only come up for air, sunshine, or to lay eggs so you don’t need to feed them.
Foods to Avoid When Feeding Turtles
Box turtles are a common pet, and they almost look like tortoises. But even for other turtle types, there are some foods you should avoid if you can. They include:
Tips to Feed Turtles
Turtles seem so sedate and move so slowly that it doesn’t seem complicated to feed them. But there are certain do’s and don’ts. These pointers will keep their flippers fabulous and full.
Turtle FAQs
Telling tortoises apart from turtles may have been your biggest question. But there’s much more to consider whether you’re keeping turtles for science or companionship. Here are a few common questions about turtles. And some of them apply to tortoises as well.
Summary
If you want an aquatic indoor pet, a smaller turtle is a good choice. You can keep them outdoors in a stock tank or a pond. Either way, provide safe basking spots, the right food for your turtle breed, a filter if you have an aquarium, and adequate swimming space.
What do turtles eat?
But in general, it is safe to feed most wild turtles earthworms, grasshoppers, crickets, peas, chopped up apples, carrots, pears, romaine lettuce and most leafy greens (like collard, mustard, and parsley). Different types of turtles need different diets ...
What are some foods that snapping turtles can eat?
Here are some foods that are safe for wild snapping turtles; Aquatic Plants: duckweed, water hyacinths, water weeds, water fern, water lettuce, yellow pond lilies, and bog moss.
What do painted turtles eat?
What to Feed Wild Painted Turtles. Wild painted turtles eat mostly animal prey when they are young and eat more vegetation as they grow older. They are still omnivores, so they need a balanced diet of animal prey and vegetation. Here are some foods that are safe for wild painted turtles;
Why are sea turtles different from freshwater turtles?
Sea turtles are like freshwater turtles because they too have a unique diet for each species, but they are also very different. Some sea turtles keep the same diet throughout their entire life while others change what they eat when they grow into adulthood. A sea turtle’s diet varies by age and species.
Can turtles eat carrots?
Carrots are an excellent vegetable for turtles! If you are feeding a wild turtle or a pet turtle, you should grate the carrots into bite-size pieces so they can eat them. Be careful not to feed too many carrots to a wild turtle though.
Can you feed a turtle bread?
NO! You should NEVER feed a wild or pet turtle bread, or any processed foods for that matter. Man-made foods that are high in sugar and flour (like candy and bread) are very bad for a turtle’s stomach. Turtles are not adapted to eating processed foods and eating them can do serious damage to their digestive system.
Do turtles eat land?
Aquatic turtles have a hard time eating on land, and if you leave the food on land, they will probably drag it to the water anyway. You also need to make sure the food is cut into bite-size pieces, and any fruits with skin (like melons and grapes) need the skin removed.
What to feed a turtle?
Shrimp and Krill which has been free dried is another great food you should be offering your turtle. Both shrimp and krill belong to a freshwater turtles natural diet, so these should be offered at least every other day. Make sure you buy ‘freshwater’ and not saltwater, as this type is commonly not in reptile diets. Another great thing is that usually they are offered in small and large sizes, so can be offered to both juvenile and adult turtles.
What is the best food for a turtle?
Turtle pellets should be the main food source for many pet freshwater turtles. The pellets are commonly made with Gammarus shrimp and crammed with vitamins and minerals. These pellets will give your turtle all the nutrients it needs for a healthy diet combining vitamins, minerals, calcium and proteins. Another great thing about this pellet food is that it floats on the surface top, so they are easily removed if not eaten.
What do green turtles eat?
The green turtle is ironically named as it only eats greens. Thats right, this species of turtle is the only specie to be a herbivore as an adult. This means they only eat sea plants, foliage and marine algae. Green turtles are actually named ‘Green’ after the colour of their fat and cartilage. Not the colour of their shells like most people believe.
What do leatherback turtles eat?
Gelatinavores are know to only eat gelatinous prey such jellyfish, tunicates and sea squirts. They are not known to eat any other foods apart from these.
What do olive ripleys eat?
They are mainly carnivorous, feeding on jellyfish, crabs, snails and shrimp, however they do occasionally eat algae, seaweed and sea grass also.
Can turtles eat green beans?
Raw green beans can be offered as a treat to a freshwater turtle. Not all turtles will eat green beans as they have an acquired taste, but they are safe to offer. They are high in calcium, magnesium and potassium, so they have a wide variety of nutritious mineral values.
Can turtles eat snails?
Snails are an importantly part of a freshwater turtles diet, as these are commonly what they would eat in the wild. Aquatic snails can be offered dead or alive . You can buy them both live, or canned from reptile shops or online stores. Usually snails will have added calcium if bought from reptile stores, as they are commonly very low in calcium by themselves. You’ll need to take this into consideration when monitoring calcium level consumption.
What do turtles eat?
Freshwater turtles have a varied diet that includes worms, snails, insect larvae, aquatic insects, crustaceans, water plants, algae and fallen fruit. We want to be able to recreate their natural diet when taking care of them at home.
Where do freshwater turtles live?
Wild freshwater turtles live in ponds and lakes, and they climb out of the water onto logs or rocks to bask in the warm sun. This means that when adopting a freshwater turtle, you will need to provide them with a water tank to swim in and also a basking area on land where they can warm up and lay in the light.
What is the name of the turtle that lives in freshwater?
Finally, completing our list of types of freshwater turtles is the razor-backed musk turtle or Sternotherus carinatus is also from the US and many aspects of their behaviour or needs are unknown.
How long do African sideneck turtles live?
African aquatic sideneck freshwater turtles can grow from 7-12 inches (18-30 cm) long. They can live up to 25-50 years. Something interesting about these turtles is their long neck.
What is a spotted turtle?
The spotted turtle is also known as Clemmys guttata and it is a semi-aquatic individual measuring between 3-5 inches (8-12 cm). It is very beautiful, has a black or blue shell with small yellow spots that also extend onto its skin. As is the case above, these are omnivorous turtles that live in freshwater areas.
How much does a pignosed turtle weigh?
It has a soft shell and an unusual head. These animals that can measure a whopping 23.6 inches (60 cm) in length and can weigh 55 lbs (25 kilograms) of weight.
How long do turtles live?
They grow around 4-10 inches (10-25 cm), males are slightly smaller than females. In the wild, these turtles can live for over 50 years. They live in ponds and lakes across northern America, from Southern Canada to Mexico.
