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We found a box turtle today, what should we feed it?

2006-09-25 06:32:13 · 9 answers · asked by Bachman-ette 4 in Pets Other - Pets

9 answers

I would suggest putting it back outside, as long as it is a safe environment. A wild animal should never be brought into a home as a pet. They often do not survive when you try to keep them in captivity.
But, if you must keep it then you need to go to Petco and buy it a cage, a heating pad, a heat lamp, bedding, an arched rock or something for it to hide under, and something for it to file it's beak on so that it doesn't over grow, a water bowl, and a food bowl. They sell special pellets for box turtles, you will also need to purchase live super worms as this is their favorite thing to eat, and they need the protein. They also eat leafy vegetables, and fruits such as strawberries.
They sell books at petco on how to properly care for them. You will also need to purchase hand sanitizer to use after every time you handle the turtle as they are common carriers of salmonella bacteria. Then you need to take it to the vet and have it checked for parasites as turtles typically carry worms and sometimes mites.
They require more care than what most people realize. Good luck!

2006-09-25 07:20:19 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

My first recommendation is to put it back where you found it. Some varieties of box turtles are endnagered and no wild animal should be kept as a pet. The Box turtles grow very slowly and their young have a low survival rate, so the more there are in the wild the better the chance they have at survival. It is actually illegal to take most US species out of the wild (this is why you rarely see a box turtle for sale--they have to be captive born and this is very difficult).

That said, box turtles require a balance of protein and vegetables (you should check with a vet for an exact proportion). Most pet stores sell canned turtle food--we've always had good luck feeding this combined with fresh fruits and vegetables (I worked at a science center that had box turtles that were captive born). Earth worms and meal worms are a good treat, but should not be fed in excess.

2006-09-25 06:40:42 · answer #2 · answered by Stephanie H 3 · 2 0

While I don't think you should just pick up an animal and keep it as a pet, I did the same with a box shell turtle because she was injured. We released her back where she came from once she was healed. But lettuce is a great thing to feed it, to keep its diet as natural to what it would eat as possible go out and hunt for worms/nightcrawlers because turtles go absolutely nuts over them. That would be something they actually eat in the wild so make sure you keep that part of his/her diet up. I know this from experience, whenever my turtle would get a worm (nightcrawlers/the worms that come out when it rains) she would just go nuts and eat it like a person might eat spaghetti noodles.

2006-09-25 06:47:08 · answer #3 · answered by Animal Lover and Owner 2 · 1 0

The best time to offer food is after the turtles have had several hours to warm up in the morning. Offer food daily to youngsters, every other day to adults. Since turtles are motivated by sight and smell, offer a varied, colorful diet. At each feeding, there must be both plant matter and animal products. Add vitamin supplement (such as Reptivite) twice a week.

2016-03-27 09:03:23 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Leafy greens like cabbage and mustard greens. they are omnivores but i have seen them eat fish on rare occasion. i used to work at a pet store that delt exclusivly with reptiles. my boss whould feed them anchovies every once in a while but not ofter

2006-09-25 06:40:45 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

lettuce,cabbage, basically leafy stuff. You shuld go buy some turtle food ( they are like pellets) and mix it in with the leaves

2006-09-25 06:37:52 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2 0

Grass, lettuce, cabbage.

2006-09-25 06:57:57 · answer #7 · answered by A_WWE_FAN_4LYFE 6 · 1 1

A boxed lunch....hehehe!

2006-09-25 06:37:28 · answer #8 · answered by SavageLettuce 4 · 0 2

you can go online and look them up or i think they may eat crickets

2006-09-25 10:13:32 · answer #9 · answered by crrousey 3 · 1 0

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