Turtles require both vegetable- and meat-based diets in order to remain healthy. New food should be offered once daily and any uneaten vegetables should be removed from their tank promptly to prevent contamination.
Avoid head and iceberg lettuce as these contain large amounts of water while providing limited nutrition. Furthermore, chard and spinach contain high concentrations of oxalic acid that could hinder calcium absorption.
Contents
Leafy Greens
Most semi-aquatic turtle species such as red sliders, painted turtles and pond turtles are omnivores, meaning they consume both plant- and animal-based foods in the wild. Examples of their diet may include leafy greens, carrot tops, endive, collard greens, Swiss chard, parsley and mustard greens.
An occasional handful of chopped kale is good for their health; just be wary to avoid green tomatoes as they’re poisonous to these animals. Head and iceberg lettuce, cabbage, radish, kohlrabi turnips and spinach are other suitable vegetables they may enjoy snacking on.
However, it is best to feed these veggies to them in small quantities due to certain foods containing high levels of oxalates, which bind calcium from their shells and bones and cause irreparable harm. Furthermore, cooked and processed food should be avoided since these contain too much salt and preservatives harmful to turtles.
Carrots
Carrots contain plenty of Vitamin A and can help your turtle combat tumors and cancer cells, as well as being an excellent source of Beta Carotene – two nutrients which have proven useful against diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
Your turtle can benefit from eating either raw or cooked carrots; raw is ideal as its lower glycemic index won’t alter their blood sugar levels as significantly.
Be careful that any carrots fed to your turtle do not contain pesticides or chemicals, and that overfeeding with carrots does not negatively impact his health; carrots should make up only part of its diet.
Squash
Most turtle species can eat various vegetable-based diets. When offering new types of food to your turtle, always begin slowly so you can observe its response while making sure it won’t accidentally consume anything toxic.
Squash, kale, collard greens, water hyacinths, squash and carrots are excellent vegetable choices for box turtles. Chopping the food before offering it reduces choking risks significantly.
Be wary when giving your turtle too many vegetables; turtles require meat-based foods for optimal growth and should only receive vegetarian food sources for sustenance. Otherwise, their strength could weaken and their appetite wane.
Peas
Turtles in the wild consume a wide range of vegetables and fruits, such as dark leafy greens, berries, carrots, turnips squash peas apples bananas. As these foods contain high levels of sugar and vitamins it is important to feed these in moderation as these foods could contain high concentrations.
Box turtle diets should contain 80-90% vegetables and 10-20% fruit. Incorporating low-calcium proteins like grasshoppers, crickets, earthworms or pinkie mice purchased from local pet stores into the mix may also help provide essential nutritional support.
Before offering them to your turtle, it is advisable to wash any fresh fruits or vegetables as these could contain pesticides that may pose health risks. Furthermore, it’s preferable for them to consume steamed or boiled veggies which contain less water content while offering more essential vitamins.
Fruit
An appropriate diet for turtles includes leafy greens like kale and collard greens, carrots, squash, peas and green beans as staples; plus low-sugar fruits to supplement these items.
However, certain foods must be avoided to help avoid gout in turtles such as chard and spinach which contain high levels of oxalic acid that prevent the absorption of calcium. Cabbage and brussel sprouts belong to the brassica family which may cause an obstruction to digestion if consumed by turtles.
Baby turtles should be fed mostly vegetables and some fruit, while adult turtles can consume more meat-based foods. All vegetables should first be steamed or boiled to kill bacteria and make digestion easier for their hosts.