What do Turtles Eat

Turtles are reptiles, and similar to all reptiles they are ‘cold blooded’ or ectothermic. Plus, turtles being amniotes, they do not lay their eggs underwater and breathe air. The largest sized turtles are aquatic animals.

Basically, there are three types of turtles: Herbivores, which eat primarily vegetation and plants; Omnivores, which eat plants and flesh; and Carnivores, which eat mostly meat.

So, What do Turtles Eat?

First of all, you need to know which species of turtle you are feeding. The natural habitat of the each species of turtle determines its diet as well as other facets of its care. For example, Map Turtles prefer eating meat, on the other hand the River Cooter’s diet comprises primarily of plants, then the Malayan Box Turtle’s feed should include lots of plants with only a small amount of meat, while the American Box Turtle is an omnivore which eats just about everything, and the Chinese 3-Striped Box Turtle’s diet comprises mostly of meat. Then there is the Red-Eared Slider, which begins by eating worms and bugs, but turns into an omnivore as it matures.

One of the best ways to make sure that your turtle stays healthy and happy is to feed it its natural diet as much as possible. Turtles in their natural habitat eat a wide variety of foods according to the season; hence, variety is the key to feeding your turtle.

Feed Your Turtle Adequate Amounts of Calcium

Minerals like vitamin D3, phosphorus, and calcium are extremely important for the health of your turtle. While turtles get enough phosphorus, since most of the food they eat contains it, it is their intake of calcium that you need to pay attention to. Crushed oyster shell, eggshells that are boiled and crushed, plaster block, and cuttlebone are all good sources of calcium.

However, merely providing enough calcium is not sufficient. Dietary calcium cannot be utilized properly if vitamin D3 is absent. Vitamin D3 is produced in the Turtle’s body if it is exposed to direct sunlight or any good reptile light such as Reptile D-Light or Reptisun. Or, they can be given vitamin D3 in their diet via a supplement.

However, certain foods can block calcium being absorbed because they contain high amounts of oxalic acid, hence care must be taken not to allow your turtle to eat too much of them, although being natural vermifuges, they could be somewhat beneficial. Certain foods, like cabbage, which have goitrogens can cause a deficiency in iodine if too much of them are given to your turtle. But, feeding your turtle with cuttlebone can overcome this problem since it has trace amounts of iodine.

Go Easy on the Protein

Too much protein in the diet causes stress on the kidneys and is thought to cause deformities, like pyramiding, in the turtle’s shell. Therefore, it is advisable not to feed your turtle high protein foods like dog food or cat food or meats that humans eat.

When protein is fed sparingly along with a varied diet, it does not cause any harm, but it should not be a staple. In fact, it is recommended to feed your turtle as wide a variety of foods as possible, without overusing any single type of food. Keep in mind that plants too provide protein; hence, getting enough protein in the diet is not difficult.

Foods Omnivorous Turtles Eat

Protein - cooked fish,; boiled eggs; cooked turkey or chicken; mealworms; waxworms; slugs; shrimp; snails; crickets; earthworms; and silkworms. Lean beef, dog food or cat food can be given occasionally. Avoid using raw meats due to the danger of contamination and fatty meats like hamburger should be avoided.

Leafy Vegetables - tufted vetch; sow thistle; grape leaves; fig leaves; endive; red clover; carrot tops; plantain weed; chickweed; dandelion; lettuce, both green and red; turnip greens; collards; and aquatic plants like water lettuce, duckweed, and so on.

Vegetables - corn; wax beans; green beans; beets; sweet potatoes; carrots; okra; green peas; and squashes.

Flowers - rose; dandelion; chives; pansies; petunia; lilies; carnations; hibiscus; hyssop; borage; nasturtium; and geraniums.

Fruits - pumpkin; kiwi; mango; apple; strawberry; banana; tomato; blackberries; cantaloupe; blueberries; grapes; figs; and citrus fruits.

There is also commercially made food available for turtles as well as supplements.

Foods that Turtles Should Not Eat

• Milk products cannot be digested by reptiles because they do not have the enzymes required for breaking down lactose, hence dairy products like yogurt and cheese should not be fed to turtles.
• Processed foods and canned foods are usually high in preservatives and salt, the effects of which are not known fully. It is advisable not to feed your turtles these foods, or use limited amounts, if you must.
• Even though turtles may eat certain poisonous plants in their natural habitat, the specifics of this feeding habit are not well known, hence, to be on the safe side, it is advisable not to have poisonous plants where you keep them, such as avocado plants, rhubarb plants, and poison ivy.

Be careful to find out the type of turtle yours is before feeding it anything. Feeding it the wrong kinds of food can make it sick.