Box turtles should be fed a variety of foods. A balanced diet is essential for your turtle’s health and wellbeing.
These turtles thrive on a diet of fruits, vegetables and insects. Additionally, they enjoy fresh aquatic plants so ensure to provide them with some in their enclosure at all times.
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Vegetables and Flowers
Vegetables are an integral component of Amboina box turtle food. These can range from acorn, butternut and yellow squash to zucchini and even mushrooms (chanterelles to morels).
Before offering vegetables or fruits to your box turtle, be sure to wash them thoroughly. Flowers can either be home-grown or purchased from a floral shop.
Vegetables and flowers should make up about 80% of the food you provide your amboina box turtle. Dark green vegetables should make up the majority, while red and yellow veggies can also be added to their diet.
Veterinarians usually recommend lightly dusting your box turtle’s vegetable matter with calcium powder (calcium gluconate, lactate or carbonate) 2 or 3 times per week. Furthermore, adding a light sprinkle of multivitamin-mineral powder specifically made for reptiles two or three times a week helps ensure your box turtle gets all of the nutrition it needs.
Fruits
Amboina box turtles eat a variety of fruits and plants. As omnivores, they also hunt for insects and crustaceans to supplement their diet.
These turtles possess a hard shell which protects them from predators such as water monitor lizards and crocodiles. In the wild, they typically reside in tropical and subtropical regions.
These animals can survive in these environments due to the abundance of nutrients found in fruits and vegetables. To replicate their natural diet in captivity, feed your pet a mixture of fresh produce including fruits and vegetables.
Fruits that are safe to feed include bananas, melons and berries. If you’d like to add more dietary variety, offer mushrooms or other types of vegetables.
When selecting food for your box turtle, keep in mind that certain items may be high in calcium. If this is the case, you may want to sprinkle calcium powder onto their food a few times each week for added benefit.
Insects
Asian box turtles are omnivorous and consume a variety of foods. In addition to worms, mealworms, and hornworms that they typically consume, they will also eat live prey items like snails, fish, prawns and crickets.
They can also be given cooked vegetables such as romaine lettuce and spinach. These foods provide them with essential vitamins and minerals for good health.
Some Asian box turtles also consume a variety of flowers, such as roses and lavender, which can be grown at home or purchased from floral shops.
It is recommended that you occasionally switch up your box turtle’s diet in order to keep them interested and prevent becoming bored with the same food over time. Otherwise, they could become fatigued and ill from not enough variety in their food intake.
Reptile Pellets
Box turtles can be fed a wide range of foods. A combination of vegetables, fruit, insects and animal protein should be provided; however it should only be fed what they would find in the wild.
Vegetables should make up around 75 percent of your box turtle’s diet. This includes vegetables such as spinach, lettuce, kale and broccoli.
Fruits such as apples, pears, bananas, mangoes, grapes and starfruit can be fed to your box turtle but should only make up 10-20% of its diet.
In addition to their diet, ensure your box turtle has constant access to fresh water at all times. This can be in a shallow dish or crock that won’t tip over easily.
As with other ectothermic animals, your box turtle requires adequate environmental temperatures in order to digest its food properly. Keep the temperature of your enclosure between 65deg and 85degF during daylight hours and 50deg to 70degF at night.
