Red-bellied turtles can be found in freshwater lakes and streams from New Jersey to North Carolina. Their plastron (bottom shell) features rich orange to reddish hues with yellow stripes running along its edge, giving it its name.
Captive turtles require a large tank with plenty of aquatic plants for them to feed upon, including commercial turtle food, non-toxic aquatic plants, and leafy greens. For optimal care they should also receive commercial food as an omnivore diet.
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Vegetables
Northern red-bellied turtles in the wild are omnivorous animals that consume both animal- and plant-based foods, including aquatic vegetation like milfoil as well as crustaceans, fish, insects, amphibians and amphibian eggs.
Red-bellied turtles that are kept as pets are adaptable enough to thrive on both store-bought and homemade turtle food, though it is best if their natural diet can be replicated as closely as possible in order to ensure optimal health.
For optimal turtle nutrition, provide them with non-toxic fresh vegetables like Swiss chard, collard greens, and lettuce. Incorporate some dark leafy vegetables and fruit as a variety. Protein from meat sources should also be provided via feeder fish or worms.
Fish
Northern red bellied turtles inhabit freshwater environments such as lakes, ditches, marches and slow moving streams. Although predominantly herbivorous in their diets, they do occasionally eat carrion and aquatic plants as well as marine organisms like algae. Their thick shell may withstand attacks by alligators or other predators.
They tend to prefer spending much of the day basking in their aquatic habitat and shy away from excessive handling.
Hatchling turtles tend to be carnivorous, so as they grow they should be given a diet consisting of commercial turtle food such as Zilla or ReptoMin and non-toxic aquatic plants and leafy green vegetables like zucchini, collard greens, beet leaves and endive leaves. A small amount of fish, worms or krill may also be included as part of their daily food consumption.
Invertebrates
Northern red-bellied turtles in the wild are omnivorous animals that consume both animal and plant materials. When young, they feed on invertebrates like worms, snails and fish for protein intake; as they reach physical maturity they switch over to herbivorous behavior by eating aquatic plants such as water hyacinths, arrowhead plants and duckweed as sources of sustenance.
These turtles also benefit from being fed a combination of commercially prepared turtle food, flakes and pellets as well as algae to supplement their diets. Furthermore, you should provide them with calcium supplements as it plays an essential role in bone development and shell formation – these supplements come in tablets, powders or gel forms.
Pellets
Red-bellied turtles need a balanced diet of vegetables and meat to thrive and stay healthy. Commercial food like Zilla or ReptoMin can provide all of their essential nutrients – like kale – along with other animal and plant sources, vitamins and minerals for maximum growth and health benefits.
Wild turtles consume an assortment of proteins from fish, insects and plants; for your pet turtle’s diet you can include freeze-dried feeder fish, worms or krill to provide additional sources of protein.
As well as these foods, your aquatic pet turtle should also receive aquatic plants like water lilies, anacharis, water hyacinth and duckweed; along with vegetables like carrots, squash, endive romaine lettuce collard greens kale beet leaves dandelions to make feeding them easier for him or her. All plants should be cut up into smaller pieces to facilitate eating by your turtle.
Supplements
Northern red-bellied turtles require a healthy diet whether kept outdoors in a pond or inside an aquarium, whether indoors or out. Their omnivorous portion should consist of commercial turtle pellets, non-toxic aquatic plants and leafy greens like romaine lettuce for optimal nutrition. Feeder fish provide enrichment food; however they should not become the sole animal source as this could introduce parasites and alter nutritional balance.
Hikari offers an ideal mix of nutrients in their Zilla product for aquatic turtles. It features three kinds of pellets to provide all of their necessary vitamins and minerals; calcium to prevent shell rot; and Vitamin D3 for proper growth. Mazuri Crocodilian Diet offers another viable choice that provides an adequate calcium:phosphorus ratio suitable for all reptile species including aquatic turtles.
