How often should a turtle eat?

Question

My boss left his turtle at the office for the staff to take care of. He provided a red food and endive to offer him and told us it had to be hand fed, but it has been 5 days and it has not eaten. Should we worry? Should we leave the food in the tank for it? I'm not sure of the species, but it is a small land turtle, like a box turtle. Thanks for you help!

Answer 1

Baby turtles, 0-2" usually, should always eat every day. Older turtles can usually skip a day, and adults can usually skip a couple days. Portion control is an important element, however- no meal should be bigger than the turtle's head.

If it has not eaten in a week, it is time to be a bit concerned. Without knowing the species, I can only give generic advice, but most land turtles LOVE strawberries and bananas. Try offering some of this to see if it will eat. (Note- bananas are very sugary for turtles and should only be a rare snack.)

It might not be eating because of a change in routine, because it expects its owner to feed it (these are animals of habit and recognize their 'feeders'), because the temps or humidity are wrong (most land turtles like a warm misting or a warm soak), or for some other reaons.

Try http://www.austinsturtlepage.com for help. Their 'World of Turtles' gallery can help you ID the turtle, and their 'Care Sheets' and forum can help with advice.