How often should I feed my two baby box turtles?

Question

I have been mixing up nightcrawlers (bloodworms) and mealworms coated in calcium every other day. I'm wondering if that is enough...a mealworm each every other day and a half of a night crawler the next day.

Answer 1

good advice here except for the mealworms part, be careful with those, also, baby box turtles are not going to eat fruits and veggies, they will only start eating them after they get to be a couple of years old, in the beginning they only want bugs and worms and slugs, etc. Try some crickets, there is a canned turtle food but you can use canned dog food (chicken based meat) feed every other day and be sure they have fresh water
I have 16 new babies this year

Answer 2

I've found that the best way to ensure a hatchling is eating enough in the insect department is to provide them with an available supply of insects and worms. I try to keep young hatchlings in a naturalized setting (with lots of mossy hiding places and soft dirt!), and sow a variety of worms, pill bugs, and crickets in the soil/tank with them, so that they can eat whenever they are hungry. You don't have to worry about chopping up the insects-- these little guys can be ferocious eaters, and will tear apart their food when necessary. You'll find that they'll be able to regulate themselves fairly well, and will pick the time of day they prefer to eat instead of you having to guess. Your babies will consume more insects than plant matter while they're young, but offer them a variety of greens/fruits/veggies every few days anyway-- if nothing else, the insects will take care of what the turtles don't eat.

Also make sure your babies have a water source at all times-- but not too deep! :)

Also, do not use canned commercial pet food of any sort-- turtle, cat, dog, or otherwise. Find a good low-fat dog kibble, like Science Diet, and soak it in water until it is nice and soft. I'd offer something like this to your babies once a week or so, but don't let them eat this more than insects or other sources of protein.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Please stop feeding it mealworms regularly. Mealworm shells are not easily digested and can cause blockages, etc. Mealworms are an OK snack, but not a meal.

Babies should be fed daily- an amount roughly twice the size of their heads. Every day should include a little reptile vitamins with B13 and good calcium supplement.

My favorite box turtle diet consists of three parts:

1/3rd 'bugs'- worms, insects, anthropods, snails, etc.

1/3rd other meat sources, like good quality dog food, lightly mashed hard-boiled eggs and shells, organ meats, cooked chicken, canned carnivore diet, etc.

1/3rd 'salad' mix of veggies, fruits, berries, mushrooms, etc. My salads usually consist of 3-6 different things and I try to not repeat any ingredients in consecutive days. Variety is important here.

Most of the food is removed when it starts to smell bad or turns, but I'll leave live foods in until they die on their own, and I try to leave some plants in at all times- either hays (alfalfa) or a potted plant it can eat safely.

Two good care sites for boxies are http://www.boxturtlesite.org and http://www.austinsturtlepage.com

Answer 4

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.

Answer 5

Thats about what I feed mine with the addition of fruits and vegies, and they were fine.


But vist these sites:

http://www.boxturtlesite.info/

and

http://exoticpets.about.com/od/boxturtles/f/dietboxturtles.htm

Answer 6

its probably best to feed them every day

Answer 7

once a day if you want them to be as healthy as posible

Answer 8

everyday