Turtle populations declined sharply during the middle of the 20th century as overhunting brought them dangerously close to extinction. Brazil eventually banned commercial hunting and launched a public awareness campaign.
At her restaurant in Sao Paulo, chef Ana Luisa Trajano serves a cold appetizer composed of marinated, low-temperature turtle loin combined with Amazonian basil and crunchy shoestring manioc.
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Animal Food
As carnivorous creatures, turtles require an appropriate balance of protein and calcium in their diet. This can best be accomplished using premium animal feed with added vegetables, fruit and live food as supplements. Avoid feeding your turtle tadpoles, frogs or amphibians (which contain parasites), raw meat from grocery store fish or chicken (which could carry diseases), raw meat from pet stores or grocery store chicken (as these could carry disease) because this could deprive it of essential nutrition.
First and foremost, make sure that your pet turtle has access to a wide variety of food. This will enable it to eat better and grow. Also keep in mind that turtles have slow metabolisms so may require feeding less frequently during winter hibernation periods.
Brazil began banning commercial hunting of turtles in the 1960s, along with public awareness campaigns to protect them, leading to their populations recovering and native communities developing a prejudice against eating turtles. Current laws and awareness campaigns may help overcome this discrimination but this journey remains long.
Special Turtle Feed
Turtle diets have been developed specifically to meet their specific nutritional requirements.
Turtle food contains high-grade proteins, vitamins, and minerals to promote growth while keeping turtles healthy. Furthermore, it helps eliminate water cloudiness while reducing algae and bacteria levels in their environment – it can be used as either a main or supplementary food source. Red-eared sliders, river cooters and painted turtles all require food that contains no corn, wheat, rice, fillers or artificial colors to thrive and this food provides exactly that without polluting their water environment. Ideal food for young turtles as it offers optimal nutrition while remaining cloud-free! Pet turtles require a diet rich in essential vitamins and minerals. Commercial turtle pellets provide enough variety, but fresh vegetables and fruit should also be part of its daily intake.
Vegetables
Vegetables are an integral component of a turtle diet, providing essential vitamins and minerals not found in pellets. Dark leafy greens such as kale, collards, bok choy and mustard greens make great choices, while carrots (tops included!), squash zucchini and brussel sprouts also offer lots of nutrition. Avoid feeding fruits as these contain high sugar levels which could create nutritional imbalances.
Diets comprised primarily of fish can lead to vitamin E deficiency and thiamine deficiency in turtles. For optimal health and longevity, offering your turtles a wide selection of foods is crucial to ensure they live long lives.
Avoid feeding your turtle earthworms, yams, raw chicken or any other forms of meat as these could contain bacteria and pesticides which may lead to illness or even death. Also do not give frozen “turtle dinners”, as they contain fat that turtles cannot digest which may result in illness and even death.
Cereals
Pet turtles require a high-quality gel-based diet with one scoop of nutrition to meet their dietary needs, providing optimal levels of Ganoderma polysaccharides, garlic, vitamin A D3 E & natural minerals to improve immunity, boost metabolism, increase energy and combat disease.
Baby turtles need protein for proper development. For optimal results, feed them at dawn when they are most active.
Forward-looking chefs in Brazil have begun using turtle meat in various dishes, such as an appetizer that combines low-temperature cooked turtle loin, Amazonian basil leaves, nut emulsion and crunchy “shoestring” manioc for crunchiness. This serves as evidence that using endangered turtles for food does not necessarily put them at risk of extinction; in fact, it may increase interest in their species while increasing conservation efforts.
