As opportunistic omnivores, baby snapping turtles will feed on anything they find in their environment – this includes fish, crayfish, earth worms and pelleted diets as well as occasional treats like duckweed and water hyacinth.
Turtles primarily consume plants such as romaine lettuce, mustard greens and dandelion leaves; however, sweets or processed food should never be fed to them, as this could lead to obesity and long term health complications for your turtle.
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Meat
Snappers are known for being opportunistic feeders, taking whatever appeals to them when feeding on aquatic plants and animals in the wild, including fish, frogs, birds, crayfish mice carrion turtles etc.
Pet turtles require a balanced diet consisting of animal and plant matter, with plants such as water lettuce, duckweed, romaine lettuce, mustard greens and other leafy vegetables easily available from pet stores being the main sources of their nutrition. Furthermore, meat sources like poultry (neck and feet included), beef, pork and lamb should also be offered regularly as treats for your turtle.
Avoid feeding snapper bony fish such as gizzard shad, bullhead catfish and fathead minnows as these contain parasites which could transfer to your turtle as well as high concentrations of the enzyme thiaminase that can lead to Vitamin B1 deficiency in your turtle. Goldfish could have similar adverse reactions.
Insects
These creatures are opportunistic omnivores that will consume almost anything that lives in a pond, such as fish, worms, snails, insects, frogs, birds, mammals or even scraps from other pond inhabitants. Additionally, they scavenge for food from time to time.
Overfeeding turtles can lead to serious health problems for them, including obesity and water fouling from decayed food waste. To protect their wellbeing, turtles under six months should be fed twice daily while those over 6 should receive feedings every other day; 4 or 5 leaves of greenery at every feeding is also recommended.
Bread, refined sugars, bakery products and processed foods containing additives that may cause obesity and calcification of their shell should also be avoided as these could contribute to obesity or shell decalcification. Feeder fish may carry diseases which could infect your turtle. A heat lamp should also be used as they don’t produce heat themselves but require assistance to stay at an ideal temperature in their tank.
Plants
Snapping turtles may seem odd to us as omnivores, yet they prefer aquatic vegetation as their main food source. While this might be surprising given their large and serrated jaws, snapping turtles’ dinosaur ancestors favored eating this diet because it provides essential nutrition.
Other food items to offer as treats for turtles include fish, crayfish and other animals such as rodents. It should only be given on occasion and as treats; turtles cannot digest meat as easily and overindulging can lead to obesity and lead to overgrowth of stomach cysts.
Pet owners should offer fresh leafy vegetables such as kale, collard greens and mustard greens as a diet supplement; also adding bananas as fruit snacks. Unfortunately, bread products and high-fat food items such as can’t be digested well by turtles.
Home aquariums should provide enough room for a baby snapper turtle. A three-gallon tank should be filled with aquarium sand or smooth river rocks to create the ideal environment, while also offering adequate temperature regulation as the turtle itself cannot produce its own body heat. A heat lamp may be beneficial in providing appropriate heat regulation as this may help create the appropriate temperatures in its environment.
Fish
Though snapping turtles may not be adept hunters, they’re still adept predators that will prey upon almost anything that swims by in their habitat – from aquatic plants and insects, to spiders, worms, carrion, reptiles, amphibians and small mammals. Furthermore, snapping turtles are also known to consume plant parts such as roots, flowers or berries in addition to being carnivorous creatures.
Young snapping turtles hunt for food while older ones wait patiently in mud or at the bottom of ponds, lakes and wetland habitats until their target appears. Their tongues have special growths that resemble wriggling worms to quickly capture any prey that swims by.
Feed your turtle fresh, whole foods to ensure that he gets all of the essential vitamins and nutrients required for his wellbeing and proper development. Try to stay away from iceberg lettuce, as this contains mostly water with few vitamins.
