| Feeding Your Red Eared Slider | | | | turtle. Also, make sure there is plenty of water and |
| Most pet turtles, red eared sliders included, are mainly | | | | try to make it as pure as possible. Lighting is another |
| herbivorous in the wild and can survive on vegetables | | | | important factor. Turtles need sunlight for proper |
| such as carrots, lettuce or cabbage or fruits such as | | | | bone growth and vitamin synthesis. If the turtles |
| berries. Some owners also introduce earthworms or | | | | don't get natural sunlight, buy a fluorescent light or |
| live insects such as crickets, beetles or spiders. You | | | | other specially designed light for reptiles. Finally, keep |
| can also buy commercial turtle food to ensure that | | | | out things that could harm the turtle if they eat it, as |
| your turtle is getting all of the nutrients it needs. Diet | | | | things like woods chips or other organic materials can |
| and frequency of feeding is also, in part, a function | | | | be dangerous to your turtle's health. |
| of your turtle's age. One thing you will notice is that | | | | Finding the right temperature for your turtles, red |
| the red eared slider's diet tends to change as they | | | | eared slider turtles included, is important. One thing |
| mature. Younger turtles are usually omnivores, eating | | | | that is important for your pet turtle is to try to keep |
| a wide range of vegetation and insects. As they | | | | it warm. Some turtles hibernate in the winter in the |
| mature, they tend to be more herbivorous, sticking | | | | wild, but if you are keeping your pet turtle inside, it |
| to fruits and vegetables. | | | | will not hibernate and it is important to make sure |
| Creating The Right Habitat For Your Red Eared Slider | | | | they are not exposed to extremely cold |
| Having the right habitat for your turtles, red eared | | | | temperatures. Ideally, their surroundings should be |
| slider turtles among them, is important. The size of | | | | kept at 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit. You can lower the |
| your aquarium will depend on the size of your turtle. | | | | temperature 5-10 degrees at night. There are plenty |
| One rule of thumb is to have ten gallons per inch of | | | | of other great resources to check out about caring |
| turtle. For instance, a ten inch turtle may require a | | | | for turtles, red eared sliders and others. Also, check |
| 100 gallon tank. Keep this in mind before buying your | | | | out my other articles for more help. |