what does a turtle eat?

Answer 1

Depends on the type of turtle. But, the common Box turtle mainly eats vegetation.

A variety of vegetables, greens and fruits can be offered. A grated/shredded salad of carrots or orange squash, green beans, soaked, mashed high quality dog kibble, and fruit (such as strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, blackberries, cherries, plums) should be all mixed together. Serve with some cantaloupe (with the rind), mustard, dandelion and collard greens. For treats, add flowers (hibiscus, rose petals, geraniums, nasturtiums). Occasionally, offer chard, sweet peppers, leftover vegetables and fruits from your meals.

Many diets also recommend high quality (low fat) canned dog food (especially chicken); finely chopped cooked chicken or raw beef heart. Most turtle people, however, prefer to supplement protein by feeding several freshly molted king mealworms Zoophoba king worms or Tenebrio mealworms (the tough brown exoskeletons are not digestible); earthworms and nightcrawlers (avoid bait shop worms - these are usually raised under rabbit hutches and are filthy with bacteria and protozoa); small pinky mice; slugs and snails (if caught in your garden, feed the snails and slugs for 4 days on dark leafy green vegetables - any that have been exposed to poisons will die in that time) and crickets (which have been fed on tropical fish flakes and fresh fruit for at least 24 hours). Remember that young turtles eat more animal matter than do adults, so the amount of protein offered should decrease over time until it is no more than 10% of total food volume.

Answer 2

Depends on the turtle species....
The water turtles, such as Red Earred Sliders, can eat a mixture of pellets (specially made for their species, sold at many petstores) and mealworms.

The land turtles (box turtles & tortoises), can eat anything ranging from formulated kibble, fresh vegetables, fruit, mealworms, and crickets.

If they are big enough, some may even enjoy the occasional goldfish.

Answer 3

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RE:
what does a turtle eat?

Answer 4

Depends on the species. Most land turtles will not because they are Herbavores. Snapping turtles and such will eat anything they can get in their mouths. Even other turtles.

Answer 5

If this is a turtle that you plan on keeping as a pet, I would get them use to eating turtle pellets. You can also give them feeder fish, they like them too.

Answer 6

Usually earthworms are the favorite food of both turtles and tortoises. Do not use hamburger, it has the wrong nutrients in it. Use pellets designed for them, or tortoises like bananas and apples, most turtles like raw fish, shrimp.

Answer 7

In the wild, foliage. As kept by people, raw vegetables, or turtle food from a pet store.

Answer 8

Letuce and greens. They have to get a certain amount of vitamins or they will die eventually. We fed ours only fruit and lettuce but the vet said that he was vitamin deprived and gave him an injection and said to feed him greens but regular head lettuce has no nutritional value to turtles, I have heard dry cat food too

Answer 9

Well from what i have seen, and i also had a red ear turtle, they eat veggys.

Answer 10

If it's a red earred slider like mine.. crickets (med. don't get the large ones, their to big, I put them in a cricket keeper so they last longer), tiny feeder fish, live meal worms, medium or small. I have 4 sliders and none of them like veggies or fruits or pellets...grrr There favorite is crickets and then the meal worms..remember, they are reptiles, they enjoy the hunt!!