Pet turtles require a diet rich in essential vitamins and minerals in order to remain healthy and happy. By providing fresh food products like fruit or veggies from nature, it can ensure they receive all of their essential vitamins and minerals.
Many experts advise feeding juvenile turtles once per week; in either instance, food should be chopped into bite-size pieces before being offered in water tanks.
Contents
Vegetables
Your turtle should primarily eat vegetables, particularly dark leafy greens such as romaine lettuce and collard greens that are packed with calcium – these should be cut up into small pieces to ensure maximum absorption by your turtle. Aquatic turtles should also eat fresh aquatic plants such as water hyacinth or duckweed regularly as a treat while fresh fruit such as berries or non-citrus fruits should only be offered occasionally as treats.
Turtles tend to be omnivorous eaters but become more carnivorous as they age, eating beetles, crickets, worms, grasshoppers and wild-caught amphibians in addition to plant-based food. When feeding raw meat from grocery stores such as turkey or chicken you risk creating health issues in your reptile; vitamin and calcium supplements should be provided regularly as this ensures their proper levels are being met.
Fruit
Fruits tend to be sweeter than vegetables, yet can help increase turtle’s levels of vitamin C, potassium and A&K vitamins. Apples, pears, bananas (with skin), figs dates and blueberries and apricots can all make for tasty treats; in addition, tomatoes offer fiber copper vitamins A &C K&A potassium!
Turtle diets should mainly consist of vegetable and flower foods. Iceberg lettuce and celery should be avoided. Kale, collard greens, dandelion greens, beet greens, Swiss chard, alfalfa hay, turnip greens, bok choy and mustard greens are suitable options; also give peas, green beans squash sprouts as these contain oxalates that could prevent calcium absorption.
Flowers
Pet turtles need a range of foods in order to receive all of the essential vitamins and minerals they require, with carnivorous species needing both commercial turtle pellets as well as live protein sources like crickets, worms or flies for nutrition.
Some turtles enjoy eating flowers as an additional source of antioxidants; these must first be thoroughly washed prior to giving them to your turtle.
Turtles make fascinating pets, but selecting one shouldn’t be done lightly. These creatures require space, specialist equipment for keeping their enclosure clean and warm, specific dietary requirements and can become lifelong commitments if taken on as pets. Yet even with all this work involved in being their caretaker, turtles can make wonderful companions when chosen properly by an appropriate owner.
Meat
Some turtles, like red-eared sliders, can consume both plants and meat, although other turtles are fully carnivorous and cannot eat vegetables. Omnivorous turtles should be fed small portions of meat and fish each week – never give raw meat as this could contain bacteria that is harmful to their health.
Aquatic turtles should be fed non-toxic aquatic vegetables and plants such as frog-bit, water hyacinths, azolla (fairy moss) and duckweed as snack foods. In addition, leafy greens such as collard greens, kale mustard greens squash may also be offered as snacks. In addition, commercially prepared turtle pellets or live prey animals such as worms earthworms tadpoles beetles crickets mealworms or waxworms should make up around two thirds of your turtle’s diet with plants making up around 50%.
Fish
Turtles tend to be opportunistic feeders and will eat whatever is presented them; however, for most turtle species (particularly juveniles that need extra protein), providing them with a varied diet is necessary for optimal health and welfare.
Many turtle owners give their reptiles feeder fish such as goldfish and guppies; however, be wary when feeding larger species as their spiney bones could damage a turtle’s throat and stomach if consumed whole.
Feeder fish should only be given occasionally as they can carry diseases. Sardines and salmon can also be found at pet stores and supermarkets; while vegetables such as romaine, mustard and collard greens, endive, Swiss chard and kale make excellent diet options for turtles. Carrots squash as well as any red or orange fruits/vegetables make good options too!
