what to feed wild sluder turtles

What to Feed Wild Red-Eared Slider Turtles

• Aquatic Plants: water lily, aracaris, duckweed, water fern, and water hyacinth.
• Fruits & Veggies: dandelion leaves, romaine lettuce, most berries, apple, pear, grapes, banana, papaya, most melons,...
• Animal Prey: small apple & pond snails, guppy fry, earthworms, silkworms, mealworms, roaches, rosy red minnows, guppies,...

Full Answer

What do red-eared slider turtles eat?

Here are some foods that are safe to feed red-eared slider turtles; Aquatic Plants: water lily, aracaris, duckweed, water fern, and water hyacinth. Fruits & Veggies: dandelion leaves, romaine lettuce, most berries, apple, pear, grapes, banana, papaya, most melons, carrots, squash, peas, and most leafy greens.

What can I Feed my turtle?

If your turtle is aquatic it will need to eat small fish such as comet goldfish, mosquito fish, or even aquatic snails. You can get live worms and crickets from your local pet store, as well as pre-packaged dead ones. Feeding your turtle live crickets can seem a little tricky, but it helps to replicate how a turtle would eat in the wild.

What do pond turtles eat?

In general, wild pond turtles eat: 1 Snails 2 Worms 3 Small insects and insect larvae 4 Small fish and amphibians 5 Dead animals 6 Aquatic plants 7 Algae 8 Fallen fruit 9 Flowers and leaves More ...

What do box turtles eat in the wild?

In the wild, box turtles eat grasshoppers, grass, spiders, caterpillars, berries, snails, flowers, earthworms, fallen fruits, and dead animals. If you think your local box turtle is not getting enough of these things, you can feed them the following;

What human food can wild turtles eat?

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 slider turtles eat lettuce?

Providing a variety of foods in their diet is key to keeping a healthy appetite. Adult red-eared sliders can be fed: Dark leafy greens: romaine lettuce, kale, dandelion greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, or swiss chard.

What veggies can sliders eat?

Sliders can eat many types of vegetables- such as green beans, tomatoes, lettuce, kale, and squash- but also a wide range of fruits – skinned apples, bananas, berries, melons, nectarine, and mango.

Do turtles need a light at night?

Night Lights They can also provide some heat, which can be important for hatchling turtles, who often sleep on the basking area at night. Adult turtles don't need night lights, and most turtles don't care whether they're red or blue as long as they're not too bright.

Can I feed turtles 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 do I get my red eared slider to eat lettuce?

0:422:16How To Get Your Turtle To Start Eating Vegetables. - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo I would put in a green leaf lettuce leaf. Or I would give him a red leaf lettuce. And I would seeMoreSo I would put in a green leaf lettuce leaf. Or I would give him a red leaf lettuce. And I would see if he'd be tempted by that if on the first day he didn't eat it I would take out the slimy stuff.

Can red eared sliders eat iceberg lettuce?

1. Leafy Greens: Collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, kale, and bok choy. Iceberg lettuce should never be fed because it is not nutritious enough,1 and dark green leafy lettuce such as romaine can be fed sparingly. Make sure you feed items with appropriate calcium-to-phosphorous levels.

Can I feed my baby turtle lettuce?

What can a baby turtle eat? You can feed land baby turtles freshy leafy vegetables such as romaine lettuce and cabbage, as well as food you can buy for them at the pet store.

What are the prey items for turtles?

Prey Items: Earthworms, crickets, waxworms, silkworms, aquatic snails, bloodworms, daphnia, shrimp, krill, and mealworms. For very small turtles, prey may have to be cut into smaller pieces. Larger turtles can be offered larger prey, such as tadpoles or feeder fish, though some experts warn that feeder fish may carry parasites and other undesirables, and some fish (like goldfish) are too fatty to be fed regularly. 1

How to give a turtle calcium?

A vet may recommend that a good reptile multivitamin with calcium and vitamin D3 be mixed with the turtle's food a couple of times a week. Also, an excellent way to provide additional calcium is to put a cuttlebone in the turtle tank. 1 These are often available in the bird section of your local pet store and can be affixed to the tank with suction cup clips or just floated in the water.

What do red-eared sliders eat?

Mojkan/Getty Images. Red-eared sliders need a diet that is a mixture of both animal and plant materials. Young red-eared sliders eat more animal protein, so babies should start with a diet that's more on the carnivorous side. 1.

Do turtles eat vegetation?

It's still a good idea to offer vegetation to young turtles, even though they may not start eating it until they get a little older. Offering it early on could make it less likely that you slider will shy away from trying vegetation as it ages. That is useful because vegetation should make up a significant portion of the adult red-eared slider's diet. 1

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Can you feed frozen fish?

Don't feed frozen fish, or at least not very often. Freezing some types of fish increases levels of an enzyme in the fish that destroys vitamin B1. Cooked chicken and lean beef don't offer balanced nutrition and will foul the water very quickly. 1 Use these only as very occasional treats in a feeding tank.

Can turtles eat goldfish?

Larger turtles can be offered larger prey, such as tadpoles or feeder fish, though some experts warn that feeder fish may carry parasites and other undesirables, and some fish (like goldfish) are too fatty to be fed regularly. 1.

Why are turtles bad for the environment?

There are many reasons that these turtles can devastate non-native ecosystems, including their lack of natural predators, long lifespans, and ability to out-compete smaller turtle species. All these things enable them to quickly dominate new ecosystems, upsetting the delicate balance of life found therein.

Why do humans hunt turtles?

Humans hunt them for various reasons, with one of the biggest being an effort to control their numbers in non-native areas.

Where Do Red-Eared Sliders Live?

These turtles originate in the southeastern United States, with a heavy distribution around the Mississippi River Delta and the Gulf of Mexico.

What are the predators of red-eared sliders?

Young red-eared sliders have various predators, including skunks, birds, snakes, raccoons, otters, coyotes, and frogs. The only animals that pose a threat to adult red-eared sliders are alligators and crocodiles, but they often can’t be bothered to eat these crunchy little snacks.

Is a red-eared slider turtle invasive?

Many people have gotten tired of keeping red-eared sliders as pets and released them in places where they are not native; as a result, these turtles are currently considered one of the most invasive species on the planet.

Do turtles hunt fish?

In some places, such as Bermuda, these turtles can even hunt native fish species into near-extinction. This can have far-reaching impacts on the local ecosystem because these fish feed on other fish and insects, and without those predators around, their numbers quickly spiral out of control.

Do turtles make good pets?

Turtles make fantastic pets. They’re easy to care for, aren’t likely to maul you to death, and are downright adorable (in their own way, of course).