Box turtles and tortoises are versatile predators that eat both greens and animal matter for sustenance, in an optimal balance of 50% protein versus 50% greens containing fruits, vegetables, fungus, flowers or weeds.
Feed your turtle a variety of foods even if he or she already has favorite dishes, to prevent nutritional deficiencies or imbalances that could occur from restricting his/her diet.
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Vegetables
Box turtles in the wild enjoy eating an array of plants and leaves to maintain good health and vitality; caretakers can recreate this situation in captivity by offering safe vegetables as food sources.
Bell peppers add both color and flavor to a vegetable menu, as they’re full of essential vitamins that turtles find easy to consume.
Cabbage, broccoli, kale and carrots should be consumed sparingly as they contain goitrogens and oxalic acid that could hinder calcium absorption.
Fruits
Box turtles are naturally omnivorous animals that feed on both high- and low-protein foods like insects, carrion, berries and earthworms as well as vegetation [32]. If desired, small amounts of pre-killed pinky mouse or chicken meat could be offered every few weeks to add variety.
Fruit should be fed sparingly. Examples of safe options for inclusion are apricots, berries, apples, papayas, papaya mulberries and melons. Fruits should be mixed with other food items to ensure the appropriate calcium-to-phosphorus ratio and introduce your turtle to proteins.
Flowers
Flowers provide both fiber and enrichment for many herbivorous and omnivorous tortoise species, and Zoo Med’s Tortoise & Box Turtle Flower Food Topper offers an ideal source of minerals and vitamins that Sulcata, Russian, Pancake Marginated Leopard Greek Hindgeback Hermann Star Desert Forsten Red Foot tortoises will appreciate.
Eastern Box Turtles consume higher volumes of plant material compared to fungi as evidenced by their lower numbers in their fecal samples (Table 3). They should receive vegetables every day or every other day along with fruit every other day and insects twice each week for optimal care.
Meat
Tortoises should primarily eat leafy greens and mixed vegetables for optimal nutrition, while iceberg lettuce and other light colored leaves contain minimal nutrients and should therefore be avoided as feed options.
Fruit should also be provided, with a variety of berries, apples, papayas, oranges, kiwis and mulberries being ideal. Cooked meats offer less chance for bacteria contamination.
Feeding box turtles a healthy and balanced diet is paramount to their wellbeing and survival. Achieve an optimal calcium/phosphorus ratio is key in their shell development.
Eggs
Box turtles love high-calorie, easily digestible foods such as eggs. But their consumption should be done sparingly because these eggs contain lots of protein and phosphorous.
Boxies require a diet high in calcium and phosphorous to remain healthy and thrive as adults, especially young turtles.
Serve a mixed salad featuring dark leafy greens (such as kale, collard greens or turnip greens), alfalfa sprouts and non-iceberg romaine lettuce as your main course. Top it off with soaked alfalfa pellets or crumbled rabbit chow to create a satisfying lunch for your cat or small animal companions.
Nuts
Nuts provide essential protein supplements for growing baby turtles, but be wary of their high phosphorous content; too much of this nutrient could lead to Metabolic Bone Disease in older tortoises.
Quality turtle food should include vitamin-fortified whole corn, apple pieces and other fruits, dehydrated carrots, brewer’s yeast, kelp powder and other minerals to provide an ideal ratio of calcium to phosphorous. Furthermore, providing full-spectrum lighting to stimulate vitamin D production will also help boost their appetites and encourage them to feed on more foods.
Breads
Box turtles must consume a varied diet in order to achieve an ideal balance of nutrients, such as dairy products, sugary treats or salty treats which could pose health risks.
If you choose to give your turtle bread as an occasional treat, remember that doing so may lead to obesity and nutritional imbalance. The best bread for turtles contains only natural ingredients without added sugars, salt or preservatives.
Dairy
Eastern Box Turtles in the wild feed on predominantly vegetables and some fruit and insects; they only occasionally consume fallen berries that fall onto their territory.
Regular feedings of insects isn’t strictly necessary as they receive much of their nutrition from plant sources, however it’s still beneficial to provide calcium, thiamin and vitamin A to ensure maximum effectiveness of nutrition intake.
