| When feeding their pet turtle, owners should take | | | | with small fish should only be done once a week to |
| advantage of the fact that turtles are omnivorous | | | | prevent them from growing obese, a condition that is |
| animals. This means that feeding turtles should be | | | | common among the animals. |
| simple and trouble-free, and may become an | | | | The right temperature must also be maintained when |
| enjoyable activity for both you and your pet. First of | | | | feeding turtles in indoor enclosures like tanks, or |
| all, you must know the type of turtle that you have; | | | | outdoor ones like pens. The correct temperature |
| then you can pick the appropriate turtle diet to | | | | helps the turtle properly digest the food that they |
| obtain your pet's optimum health. | | | | intake, and also keeps them from acquiring diseases. |
| Terrestrial or land turtles must be fed 95% | | | | Some important signs that your turtles have poor or |
| vegetables. These include dark green, leafy | | | | improper nutrition are: |
| vegetables, which should comprise the major portion | | | | They are sluggish or lethargic |
| of the vegetables in your turtle's diet. You may also | | | | They have a milky fluid in their eyes |
| consider feeding your turtle other vegetables such as | | | | Cloudy patches appear as blotches on their skin |
| collard, radish, turnip, and cut grass; offering lesser | | | | Turtles have the tendency to be messy when they |
| amounts of spinach, peas, squash, and clover. The | | | | eat. It is imperative that you keep a close monitoring |
| remaining 5% of the turtle diet should be made up of | | | | of your pet so that any uneaten food, leftovers, or |
| fruits. | | | | crumbs are cleaned up promptly. This will prevent the |
| If you have Box Turtles, feed the young ones with a | | | | growth of bacteria that can, over time, contaminate |
| majority of meat or animal material, such as slugs, | | | | the turtle and make its housing filthy. |
| snails, earthworms, spiders, grasshoppers, and | | | | It is also advisable, when feeding your turtle, to use |
| beetles. As they mature, you can add such plant | | | | wide, flat rocks as food dishes instead of the |
| material as fruits, berries, leafy vegetables, and seeds | | | | commercially manufactured plastic dishes. These flat |
| to your turtle's diet. | | | | rocks create a large, abrasive surface for the turtle's |
| Feeding turtles that are aquatic, on the other hand, | | | | food, and the continuous friction during feeding will |
| requires a different variation of food. You may feed | | | | protect your pet turtle's beak from breaking, and |
| the small ones with shrimps in the shell, slugs, | | | | keep its nails and claws from growing too long. You |
| chopped earthworms, chopped mice, and floating | | | | should always provide your turtles with a separate |
| food sticks that can be purchased at a pet store. As | | | | container of fresh, clean water to drink. |
| the turtles mature, however, incorporate their diet | | | | Feeding your turtle in the same area and at the same |
| with green, leafy vegetables like cabbage, kale, | | | | time every day are two sure and proven methods |
| broccoli leaves, cut grass, dandelions, and cut weeds. | | | | to gain its trust. Be sure to be quiet and calm when |
| If you house your turtles in aquariums or ponds, you | | | | you approach your pet, so as not to startle or stress |
| may place small fish for them to hunt, as the turtles | | | | it out. With practice, you may even find your turtle |
| enjoy doing this. But keep in mind that feeding turtles | | | | waiting for you at meal times! |