what to feed turtles in lake

Collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, kale, and bok choy are examples of leafy greens. You can put aquatic plants in an aquarium or a pond, and turtles

love to eat them. Carrots (tops are fine), squash, and green beans are examples of other vegetables.

Full Answer

How much food should you feed your turtle?

You can either feed your turtle once every two days, the amount of food that it will take to fill their head. Or you can feed them half of that amount every day. There is no difference for them if you feed them every day, or if you feed them every two days, as long as the amount of food is right.

What are the eating habits of a turtle?

Turtle eating habits are varied and what they eat depends on the available food sources, the habitat in which the turtle lives and the turtle's behavior. Most adult land turtles eat a diet that consists of plants. They graze on grass or browse on the leaves of bushes and shrubs that are within their reach. A few species of turtles also eat fruits.

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 kind of fish should I Feed my turtle?

• What Do Baby Painted Turtles Eat? 1. Commercial Turtle Food Foods 2. Small Fish 3. Worms 4. Insects 5. Tadpoles
• Quick Tips for Caring for a Baby Painted Turtle
• What Do Painted Turtles Eat?
• Frequently Asked Questions Can Painted Turtles Eat Fruit? What Do Painted Turtles Eat in the Wild? How Often Should You Feed Your Painted Turtle? ...
• Final Thoughts

What is the best thing to feed water turtles?

Minnows, crickets, and a variety of worms are perfect-sized proteins. You can also feed other insects, small fish, and aquatic snails. Turtles prefer live food if possible, and many will only eat in the water, where they feel safe.

What is safe to feed turtles?

Animal food sources. Animal-based food sources for turtles can include processed pet foods like drained sardines, turtle pellets, and trout chow. You can also feed them cooked chicken, beef, and turkey. Live prey can include moths, crickets, shrimp, krill, feeder fish, and worms.

What can you feed wild freshwater turtles?

Feeding: ** Long- neck turtles are carnivorous and will eat insects ( moths, crickets) , tadpoles, small freshwater fish (such as white bait, guppies etc) , fresh and saltwater prawns and yabbies, snails and mussels and worms.

Should you feed wild turtles?

The short answer is no. Turtles are omnivores and eat a wide variety of insects/arthropods, worms, fish and vegetation (our facility feeds our turtles crickets, cockroaches, worms, bull minnows, crayfish, fruits, squash and vegetables in addition to their commercial turtle food).

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.

What should I not feed my turtle?

Feeding wild-caught fish and amphibians is not recommended, as they may contain parasites and other infectious organisms that may affect the turtle. Raw meat, fish, or chicken from the grocery store does not contain a balance of calcium and phosphorus for a turtle and is not recommended as a food source for turtles.

What can I feed a turtle I found in my yard?

Choose dark green vegetables like collards or turnips and cultivate strawberries in the habitat as well. Supplement your turtle's diet with live crickets and worms.

Can you feed a turtle lettuce?

Is Lettuce Safe for Turtles? There isn't any type of lettuce that should be poisonous to a turtle. They can eat all kinds, and many varieties — like romaine and radicchio — are both nutritious and delicious for them. Iceberg, on the other hand, is basically just crunchy water.

Can you feed a turtle 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.

What do wild turtles like to eat?

In the wild, turtles eat a variety of things including worms, small insects, snails, and fish. Wild turtles are mainly carnivorous when they are young because their bodies require a lot of protein to grow. Plus, growing turtles need the vitamins and nutrients that can be found in feeder fish.

How Long Can turtles go without food?

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.

Can turtle eat cucumber?

The best way to keep your turtle healthy is to offer them a wide variety of different meats, fruits, and vegetables throughout the week to make sure that all their nutritional needs are met. Cucumbers can be an excellent addition to any turtle's diet, assuming that the turtle likes them.

What fruit can turtles eat?

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 ...

Can you feed turtles 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.

Can turtles eat lettuce?

Is Lettuce Safe for Turtles? There isn't any type of lettuce that should be poisonous to a turtle. They can eat all kinds, and many varieties — like romaine and radicchio — are both nutritious and delicious for them. Iceberg, on the other hand, is basically just crunchy water.

Can a turtle 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.

What is the best way to feed an aquatic turtle?

Feeding an aquatic turtle small live fish helps to stimulate the turtle and give him some exercise.

What to feed a baby turtle?

So, here are some pointers on how to feed baby turtles: #1 First, Feed land baby turtles, a combination of commercially produced food and fresh leafy vegetables, such as lettuce and cabbage, and make sure you chop the food into tiny pieces. #2 Feed your aquatic baby turtle in a smaller feeding tank. Aquatic baby turtles are sloppy eaters, and they ...

What Do Water Turtles Eat?

You should understand that feeding an aquatic turtle is not the same as feeding a land turtle.

How to keep baby turtles from eating?

Aquatic baby turtles are sloppy eaters, and they relieve themselves in the middle of their meals. Therefore, they are bound to dirty their aquarium. #3 Give your turtle feeder fish and crickets for some meals. #4 Feed baby turtles two or three times a day. #5 Remember to leave your baby turtle’s food in the tank for half an hour ...

How to keep turtles from knocking over?

There should always be freshwater in a bowl that the turtle can easily access and not easily knock over. Take care to make sure that the water stays clean and replace it now and then .

Why should you clean your turtle's food?

Whenever you give them food, you should make sure to clean the feeding area. This is because leftover food decay, and this is not healthy for a turtle.

Do turtles eat the same amount of food?

No two turtles will eat the same amount of food, so recommendations on the amount to provide have to be generalized. In that case, it’s important to note that young turtles should be fed often. Juvenile turtles, a term that most describes baby turtles, need lots of food and need to be fed most often than mature turtles.

What animals can a turtle eat?

Depending on the size of the turtle, amphibians such as tadpoles and frogs can be offered, as can earthworms, snails, slugs, beetles, grasshoppers, moths, crickets, mealworms, wax worms, and other insects. Feeding wild-caught fish and amphibians is not recommended, as they may contain parasites and other infectious organisms that may affect the turtle.

What do box turtles eat?

Box turtles are omnivorous. Generally, your box turtle's diet should be about 50% plant-based material and 50% animal-based material, but be sure to discuss a specific diet plan for your turtle with your veterinarian. Most young turtles eat daily, while older turtles can be fed daily or every other day, depending upon the pet's individual appetite, body weight, and overall health. Most (80-90%) of the plant material fed to box turtles should be vegetables and flowers, and only 10-20% should be fruit. As a rule, dark, leafy greens should make up the largest part of the diet. Fruit should be fed more sparingly than vegetables, since they are often preferred by box turtles over vegetables and tend to be less nutritious. The key is to feed a wide variety of healthy items, including both plant- and animal-based protein sources. A common problem seen in pet box turtles is over-supplementation with vitamins (especially vitamin D3) and minerals. Check with your veterinarian about the need to supplement your pet's diet with any kind of vitamin or mineral. Fresh clean water should always be available to box turtles.

What do red-eared sliders eat?

An improper diet is likely the most common cause of health problems in captive turtles and other reptiles.

How often should I feed my red-eared slider?

Smaller or juvenile turtles will eat heartily every day. As they get older, adult turtles may be offered a good-sized portion of food every two or three days.

What do iguanas eat?

Iguanas are herbivorous, meaning they eat plants. Most of their diet should be dark green leafy vegetables, with less than 20% of the diet as fruits. In general, foods comprised of large amounts of animal-based protein, such as crickets, mealworms , pinky mice, tofu, and hard boiled eggs, are too high in protein for iguanas to eat frequently and should be offered as less than 5% of the adult iguana’s total diet. The amount and type of supplements required by iguanas is controversial and somewhat age-dependent. Most veterinarians recommend lightly sprinkling a growing iguana’s food every other day (4-5 times per week) with calcium powder (calcium carbonate or gluconate), without vitamin D or phosphorus that has been specifically formulated for reptiles. Most veterinarians recommend that young iguanas receive a multivitamin supplement containing vitamin D twice a week. Opinions vary regarding the nutritional needs of captive iguanas, and our knowledge in the subject is continually expanding based on new dietary studies in reptiles. Check with your veterinarian for specific nutritional needs for your pet iguana.

Why do turtles have a lack of appetite?

Turtles commonly suffer from vitamin A deficiency, respiratory diseases, abscesses, shell infections and fractures, and parasites. Vitamin A deficiency occurs as a result of feeding turtles an inappropriate diet. Symptoms include a lack of appetite, lethargy, swelling of the eyelids, swelling of the ear, kidney failure, and respiratory infections. Respiratory tract infections are most often caused by bacteria. Abscesses are treated surgically. Shell infections can be challenging to treat. Gastrointestinal parasites are treated with appropriate deworming medications. Seek immediate veterinary care if there is any deviation from normal in your pet turtle.

Why do turtles have health problems?

An improper diet is likely the most common cause of health problems in captive turtles and other reptiles.

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 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.

What vegetables do turtles eat?

Vegetables that provide good nutrition include grated carrots, zucchini, or squash, plus peas and green leafy vegetables. Fruits include such tasty things as berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries) grapes, and tropical fruits such as guava, pawpaw, and bananas.

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 get all the vitamins and minerals?

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.

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 to feed a turtle?

Fresh, cooked, unseasoned meat (stick with chicken and shrimp) Chopped vegetables (carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, etc) Water vegetation. Dead insects. If you need something more stable for your pet turtle, you can also purchase store-bought turtle diets, which can be excellent nutrition choices.

What do pond turtles eat?

Pond turtle sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) are one of the most common turtles kept as pets. They are tough turtles that live for a very long time, sometimes up to 70 years.

What vegetables do turtles eat?

You can put aquatic plants in an aquarium or a pond, and turtles love to eat them. Carrots (tops are fine), squash, and green beans are examples of other vegetables.

What do worms eat?

With pellets accounting for around 25% of the diet, the remainder of the diet should include some of the following things below: Earthworms, crickets, waxworms, silkworms, aquatic snails, bloodworms, daphnia, crabs, krill, and mealworms are some of their favorite prey. Collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, kale, ...

Can you feed a turtle candy?

No candy, chocolate, or other sugary foods are allowed. Not only is it bad for a turtle’s wellbeing, but these foods are usually hard and pose a choking danger to your pet. Do not share meals or snacks with your turtle. Salmonella bacteria are carried by many turtles, as well as other marine animals.

When was the ban on turtles enacted?

The prohibition was enacted in 1975 to address the issue of Salmonella infections in children. With this in mind, it is important to always wash your hands after coming in contact with a turtle, especially those in the wild.

Can turtles eat pellets?

Aquatic turtle pellets are an essential part of your pet turtle’s diet, but they also shouldn’t be the only thing they eat. Always place the food in the pond, and don’t try to hand feed them directly.

What Food Do Turtle Pets Eat?

The food your turtle eats will be based on whether it’s a herbivore, omnivore, or carnivore. Luckily, most aquatic turtles are omnivores and will munch on both plant-and animal-based foods.

How Often Should You Feed Your Turtle?

Once you work out how much your pet turtle should eat, you now need to figure out how often the shell-carrying reptile should be fed. A feeding routine ensures that you give a turtle the rightful supply of nutrients when it needs them most.

Is There a Specific Way to Feed Your Turtle?

Aquatic turtles and terrestrial turtles differ in how they prefer their food served. Sea turtles like to eat their food underwater; hence food should be placed inside their water tank. If you’re not feeding them live prey such as small fish and worms, ensure that the food you choose can float on the surface. This is because it can be highly challenging for turtles to find food that has settled at the bottom of the tank.

What do turtles eat in ponds?

Turtles typically feed on a diet of snails, slugs, fish, frogs, insects, or other small creatures that live near the water’s surface. This blog post will overview how a turtle’s diet is affected by its habitat type.

What kind of duckweed do turtles eat?

There are three types of duckweed that turtles love to eat: yellow water lilies, red-purple water lilies, and green spider lilies.

Why are turtles so cool?

Turtles are a pretty cool thing to have at the pond because they’ll eat many weeds and help keep the water clean. Just make sure that your turtle has access to nutrient-rich plants like arrowhead or canary grass then it will be delighted. You don’t need to worry about feeding them too much because, in excess, these plants contain nutrients that turtles don’t need.

Why are water lilies good for ponds?

Water Lilies make for great food because most pond animals can’t eat their leaves, and they have so many nutrients.

What grass do turtles like?

Reed Canary Grass is what turtles love because it’s what they’ll be eating when you give them a bathtime snack! These plants have loads of nutrients and minerals like calcium, magnesium, zinc. They also grow anywhere there is some moisture which makes these plants hardy.

What do turtle plants look like?

These plants look like spikes or pointy leaves that grow high up out of the water, so your turtle will probably find them at the pond as well!

How many different types of vegetation do turtles have?

Here are the nine different types of vegetation turtles enjoy: