
Best Food For Yellow Belly Turtle
- Fish. Unlike most reptiles, the yellow belly turtle is omnivorous, so a healthy diet is essential for this animal.
- Vegetables. The best food for your yellow belly turtle is mostly vegetables and fruits. ...
- Fruits. ...
- Calcium supplements. ...
- Fruits are a good source of vitamins and nutrients. ...
- Vegetables are a good source of vitamins and nutrients. ...
What are the eating habits of a turtle?
- Does your turtle tank have a basking area?
- Does the basking area include bulbs that provide heat, UVA, and UVB light?
- Have you changed any of the bulbs in the past 8 months?
What is the best turtle food?
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. You can also go with edible aquatic vegetation such as water lettuce, water hyacinth, and duckweed. “For fruits, consider shredded apples and melons, as ...
What kind of turtle has a yellow belly?
Yellow-Bellied Slider: Species Profile
- Yellow-Bellied Slider Behavior and Temperament. The slider is a diurnal turtle, meaning it is most active during the day. ...
- Housing the Yellow-Bellied Slider. ...
- Light. ...
- Heat. ...
- Food and Water. ...
- Common Health Problems. ...
- Choosing Your Yellow-Bellied Slider. ...
- Different Species of Aquatic Turtles. ...
What does a yellow bellied slider turtle eat?
- Iceberg Lettuce
- Feeder Fish
- Raw Meat
- Spinach
- Beets
- Rhubarb Greens
- Potato Greens

What can you feed yellow bellied turtle?
The yellow-bellied slider will eat a range of aquatic foods, meat products and livefood. They can also be fed dried foods when the fresh or live options are not available. The dried food should be created with shrimp or meat protien rather than vegetation.
What fruits and vegetables can yellow belly turtles eat?
Dark, leafy greens like romaine, dandelion greens, and fresh parsley should be a regular part of your yellow-bellied slider's diet. Offer chopped apple pieces and freeze-dried shrimp occasionally.
What type of food do yellow-bellied sliders eat?
Plant materials in the slider turtle's diet include algae, leaves, stems, roots, fruits and seeds. They feed on larger invertebrates, such as water insects, and vertebrates such as small fish, tadpoles and frogs. Slider turtles are not normally able to capture healthy fish.
What do baby yellow bellied turtles eat?
Hatchling yellow-bellied slider turtles need a varied diet of insects, fish and plant material.
How long can yellow-bellied sliders stay out of water?
Turtles can usually stay out of water for around 8 hours. However, this depends on the environment of the land they are on. If the area has a cool temperature, a turtle can stay out of the water for a couple days. That being said, a turtle will run into serious digestion issues if they stay out of water too long.
Can you overfeed a yellow belly slider?
It's essentially a form of Metabolic Bone Disease and occurs when your turtle is overfed. It's not good for the turtle and could lead to their organs being squeezed or being damaged. The biggest culprit of shell pyramiding is usually from feeding your turtle too many pellets.
Do yellow belly sliders get lonely?
Do yellow bellied sliders get lonely? No. Turtles can actually get territorial especially when kept together in small tanks. It's usually best to keep one turtle to a tank or have at least a 120-150 gallon tank if you opt to keep several.
Can yellow-bellied sliders eat cucumber?
There are many other types of foods that a turtle could eat that have many more nutrients than cucumbers do. The more cucumber your turtle eats, the less room there is in their diet for more nutritionally dense foods. Too much cucumber in a turtle's diet can also lead to problems such as diarrhea and indigestion.
How deep should yellow-bellied sliders be watered?
Since wild Yellow-Bellied Sliders inhabit and dive in deep ponds and rivers, keep the water at least 12 inches deep, or even 18 inches deep for large females.
Can yellow belly turtles eat lettuce?
Lettuce in particular is a common food item for yellow-bellied sliders. Cut-up bits of meat, including seafood like shrimp, are also usually beneficial for these turtles. You can also offer your yellow-bellied pet "once in a while" snacks -- think waxworms and mealworms. Diversity is key for their diets.
Can yellow-bellied sliders eat tomatoes?
Fruit should be fed more sparingly than vegetables, since they are often preferred by box turtles over vegetables and tend to be less nutritious. Fruits to offer include apples, pears, bananas (with skin), mango, grapes, star fruit, raisins, peaches, tomato, guava, kiwis, and melons. Fruits that are particularly ...
Do yellow belly turtles need a heat lamp?
Yellow-bellied slider turtles spend a good deal of time in basking spots, which for captives must stay at the correct temperature through lighting. Your turtle does require a heater on, 24 hours a day, to keep his water at the right temperature.
How to make a yellowbellied slider turtle feel safe?
Next, add some plants (they can be real or artificial). Yellow-bellied sliders need plants to feel safe. Get a healthy mix of submerged plants and floating plants to make your turtle feel right at home. To keep the water in good shape, use a powerful filtration system.
What color is a turtle's shell?
On the top of the shell, also known as the carapace, the turtle is a bit more subdued. The shell is usually dark brown or black. However, vibrant yellow markings add some visual interest. The same yellow and black striping is present on the skin.
How do yellowbellied sliders use land?
While yellow-bellied sliders will spend most of their time in the water, they use the land to regulate their temperature and bask in the sun. You can create a piece of land naturally with the substrate material. However, the easiest option is to use a floating perch.
What type of light do yellowbellied sliders need?
These turtles rely on amply lighting to regulate their body temperature and stay healthy. You’ll need two types of lighting: a basking light and a UV light. The basking light will shine on the land portion of the tank.
What is a yellowbellied slider?
Yellow-bellied sliders are a popular pet turtle that many owners enjoy. Their high activity level and unique habitat requirements make them stand out in pretty much any home. But the same traits that make them unique also make them a bit trickier to care for than other turtles. This means you need a strong understanding ...
How long do yellowbellied sliders live?
Lifespan. The average yellow-bellied slider lifespan is between 20 and 30 years. However, it’s not uncommon to see these creatures reaching the ripe old age of 40! Of course, there’s no way to guarantee that your turtle will live that long.
Where do turtles live?
With their active lifestyle and beautiful coloration, it’s not hard to see why. Native to the Southern United States, these turtles are found in a wide range of environments. They are habitat generalists and will make use of any resources around their home.
How often should I feed my turtle?
Juveniles and hatchlings should eat twice a day. Once a turtle reaches adulthood (age 2 to 5), feed once a day. Commercial turtle pellets are a proper base diet when supplemented with a variety of other items. Offer only what your turtle can consume in about 15 minutes and remove uneaten food.
How many watts should I use for a turtle?
Either a 60-watt or 100-watt basking bulb should be sufficient. As turtles also need the UV rays from the sun for proper development, you can get a combination mercury vapor bulb, which provides both heat and UV. Their water also needs to be at a constant temperature of 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Why do turtles dive?
Common Health Problems. Sliders should be able to dive into their water. A turtle that is always floating can be a sign of a problem, such as pneumonia. Turtles with eyes that are closed or puffy may indicate a respiratory infection or a similar issue. 1 Wheezing and drooling also are signs of respiratory ailments.
What is the behavior of a yellowbellied slider?
Yellow-Bellied Slider Behavior and Temperament. The slider is a diurnal turtle, meaning it is most active during the day. They tend to eat first thing in the morning, and in the wild will spend most of the rest of the day basking in the sun. Captive yellow-bellied sliders also are most active during the day.
How big of a tank should I use for a slider turtle?
The ideal tank size for an adult slider is 75 to 100 gallons. Provide a basking dock and clean water for your turtle housed indoors.
How often do turtles need UV light?
Turtles need adequate UVA and UVB rays. They typically get these UV rays from unfiltered sunlight or a special lamp. Aquatic turtles will need these U V lights year-round for about 12 hours per day. Replace UV light bulbs every six months. If your yellow-bellied slider lives outdoors, it will not need supplemental UV lighting; the sun's rays will be sufficient.
How do I control my turtle's temperature?
To control their temperature, turtles seek out basking spots to soak up the sun's warm rays. If you have an indoor tank, you will need to replicate a sunny basking spot that can reach 80 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Either a 60-watt or 100-watt basking bulb should be sufficient. As turtles also need the UV rays from the sun for proper development, you can get a combination mercury vapor bulb, which provides both heat and UV.
