Box Turtles are omnivorous animals and must consume an array of vegetables and fruits in their diet, with dark leafy greens accounting for the bulk of it.
Avoid feeding young turtles iceberg lettuce or other light greens as these have little nutritional value and contain high concentrations of oxalates that bind calcium.
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Vegetables
Box turtles thrive in their natural environment and need a wide selection of both fruits and vegetables in their diet, in order to get all the necessary vitamins and minerals from each variety of veggie. Brightly-colored vegetables offer vitamin A while dark leafy greens provide adequate calcium and iodine intake.
Prior to offering any hard vegetables or fruit to a box turtle, it is wise to steam or grate them for optimal digestion and wash all produce and fruit thoroughly to reduce pesticide transference into their body. This will also help ensure an enjoyable eating experience!
Young box turtles should consume 80-90% of their diet from vegetables and flowers. These include collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, kale, alfalfa hay, watercress and dandelion as well as other cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, beets and rhubarb which may contain oxalates that bind calcium from their bodies into harmful forms that interfere with nutrition intake.
Fruits
Box turtles typically begin life as opportunistic omnivores and require both animal-based and plant-based foods for sustenance. Once sexual maturity has been reached, growth rates reduce substantially while caloric needs decrease significantly.
Greens are an essential component of a balanced box turtle diet and should be fed at least twice per day, at minimum. A few staple options would include romaine, kale, collards, mustard greens and dandelion leaves; occasional varieties that provide calcium with lower phosphorus levels should also be offered from time to time; rare greens with antinutrients like oxalates or goitrogens should only be fed occasionally or once weekly.
Box turtles love sweet fruit and will likely have their own favorite variety. To ensure that your box turtle receives all its necessary nutrition, chop up their favorite fruit into its regular meal of vegetables and protein sources.
Mushrooms
Box turtles are known for having excellent eyesight, including color vision (their heads don’t fold forward like aquatic turtles do). Furthermore, these reptiles are known for sensing vibrations both underground and underwater.
Pet box turtle diets should consist predominantly of vegetables and flowers, particularly dark leafy greens like collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, alfalfa hay, kale and romaine lettuce. Lighter green vegetables such as iceberg lettuce, celery, kohlrabi or cabbage should be fed less often.
Box turtles should also receive protein supplements from insects, worms and grubs as a form of nutrition not provided by plants alone. This will provide extra vitality.
Box turtles are carnivores as young, needing animal proteins for proper growth. Mushrooms and berries, such as mayapples, blackberries, elderberries and pokeweed, often attract box turtles that roam about. Box turtles serve an important seed dispersing role for mayapples while birds serve a similar function with many berry species.
Animal Based Protein
Wild box turtles are omnivorous animals, meaning they consume anything edible within their natural environment, including earthworms, snails, insects, carrion, grasses, fruits berries flowers and mushrooms.
Alongside fruits and vegetables, a proper box turtle diet must include meat-based proteins such as crickets or worms for baby boxes; adults require less protein. Commercial reptile pellets may provide sufficient amounts of this necessary nutrition.
Box turtles require food rich in vitamin A to avoid anemia, ear abscesses and eye issues as a result of deficiency. Leafy green vegetables and yellow fruits such as mango are great sources of this vital nutrient; aim to provide approximately 30% of their diet from plants.
