Most turtles are omnivorous; their diet depends on the species and age of their pet. Aquatic turtles should eat both dry food as well as live food to remain healthy.
Avoid foods rich in dairy and sweets as these may lead to digestive upset in turtles. Furthermore, make sure that any fresh produce is thoroughly rinsed to remove pesticides or chemicals which could potentially harm them.
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Vegetables and Fruit
Turtles in the wild eat an array of plant and animal food sources, but pet turtles should only consume certain foods that they can digest themselves, such as dairy and chocolate products, sweets and salty snacks such as candy bars. Also avoid giving your turtle any fruits or vegetables high in oxalates like chives, parsley and spinach which contain high concentrations of oxalates that could harm them.
Leafy greens like collard greens, kale, Swiss chard and romaine lettuce provide turtles with essential nutrition. You should also provide anacharis as well as aquatic plants such as fairy moss, water hyacinth and frogbit for their diet.
Flowers
Provide your turtle with a varied diet to stimulate his senses and promote natural feeding habits. In addition to vegetables and fruit, try offering him safe flowers such as carnations, roses or hibiscus as treats.
At minimum, 80%-90% of your turtle’s diet should consist of vegetables and flowers with 10%-20% being made up of fruits. When providing vegetables to your turtle, try to stay away from offering watery greens like lettuce and celery that offer no real nutrients; rather try feeding him high nutritional value vegetables such as kale, collard greens, mustard greens, Swiss chard or dark leafy greens such as spinach.
Meat
Turtles in the wild tend to eat whatever is available and this should not change when kept as pets in a tank, though some owners add live fish in order to stimulate their natural hunting instincts. Raw meat poses more of a risk due to salmonella contamination while not providing adequate calcium and phosphorus intake.
An herbivorous turtle should consume around 80-90% vegetables and flowers as part of its diet, supplemented by some fruit and high-protein meats in small portions. Kale, parsley, collard greens, bok choy and spinach are popular vegetable choices that should also be included; you should feed your turtle a variety of fruit such as apples, berries and melons as well.
Fish
Turtles eat both processed and live foods. Common pet foods such as drained sardines, trout chow, and chicken pellets should be supplemented with vegetables and leafy greens for best results. Some turtles enjoy feeding themselves live insects such as crickets, moths and mealworms while worms, crickets, moths and mealworms should be avoided to reduce parasite contamination risk.
Aquatic turtles feed on an assortment of fruits and veggies, such as kale, collard greens, iceberg lettuce and mustard greens. Additionally, they enjoy munching on grated carrots, squash zucchini peas berries. It is important to avoid those with seeds which could potentially be toxic.
Earthworms
Earthworms may make up up to half of a turtle’s diet depending on their species. Packed full of essential vitamins and minerals, earthworms are beloved treats among aquatic turtles.
Turtles will eat most vegetables, particularly leafy greens such as kale. Additionally, they enjoy fruits like apples, bananas and pears as snacks. It is best to offer raw vegetables because cooking destroys many essential vitamins and nutrients; make sure they have been washed well to eliminate chemicals or pesticides that might remain.
Some turtles like to snack on earthworms that are sold for aquarium fish, but these should never be fed as they often contain mercury and other toxins that are hazardous for turtles to consume. Furthermore, feeding turtles any dog or cat food should never be done voluntarily.
Insects
Turtles in the wild rely heavily on insects for protein sources and treats, including ants, crickets, grasshoppers, millipedes and beetles. Freeze-dried insects provide another great source of nutrition that can be fed as treats to turtles.
Vegetables, flowers and fruits should comprise the bulk of your turtle’s diet. Green leafy vegetables like kale and parsley as well as tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, zucchini and squash are good options.
Be wary when giving your turtle processed foods such as lunch meat, sausage or any other items containing salt and preservatives as this could trigger gout in turtles. Also avoid giving dairy or sweet products since these aren’t natural to their diets.
