Can I Feed My Turtle Fish?

Feeding wild-caught fish and amphibians is not recommended, as they may contain parasites and other infectious organisms that may affect the turtle. Raw meat, fish, or chicken from the grocery store does not contain a balance of calcium and phosphorus for a turtle and is not recommended as a food source for turtles.[1]

What Food Can Water Turtles Eat?

Foods that are healthy and safe for turtles include insects like grubs and crickets, earthworms, small fish, and dark leafy greens such as kale and collard greens. Adult turtles only need to eat three to five times per week, and baby turtles may need to eat up to twice a day.[2]

Can Turtles Eat Pond Pellets?

Pellets are one of the most important things you should feed a pond turtle. Aquatic turtle pellets are an essential part of your pet turtle’s diet, but they also shouldn’t be the only thing they eat. Always place the food in the pond, and don’t try to hand feed them directly.[3]

Can Red Eared Turtles Eat Strawberries?

And if you’re wondering whether or not these turtles should be going to town on fruit, don’t worry animal fans — strawberries are perfectly safe for turtles to eat. In fact turtles love a variety of fruits and veggies, especially tropical fruit like papaya, guava, and banana.Feb 16, 2019[4]

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Can Red Ear Slider Turtles Eat Strawberries?

Most box and aquatic turtles can eat strawberries, and they enjoy them quite a bit, often going out of their way to collect some once they try it. However, the popular red-eared slider does not eat fruit in the wild and shouldn’t eat fruit in captivity.Jul 28, 2022[5]

What Fruit Can A Red-Eared Slider Eat?

Sliders can eat many types of vegetables- such as green beans, tomatoes, lettuce, kale, and squash- but also a wide range of fruits – skinned apples, bananas, berries, melons, nectarine, and mango.[6]

How Often Can Turtles Have Strawberries?

Fruit – such as strawberries – should be an occasional treat only, making up less than ten percent of your slider’s diet.[7]

Can Red Ear Turtles Eat Fruit?

Some experts recommend fresh fruits such as bananas, berries, apples, and melons. However, this isn’t a natural staple in the red-eared sliders diet, and it may cause diarrhea. If you offer any fruit at all, limit it to very small quantities as a special treat. Don’t feed frozen fish, or at least not very often.[8]

Can Box Turtles Eat Cheese?

Pet Turtle Feeding Tips

Avoid offering turtles any dairy products such as milk, yogurt, or cheese. They cannot digest dairy, and it will cause illness. Baby turtles should be fed every day, whereas adult turtles can eat four to five times each week.[9]

Can Box Turtles Eat Dairy?

Some of these foods will irritate your Box turtle, while others can poison it. Reptiles are lactose-intolerant, so dairy products are off-limit.[10]

What Happens If A Turtle Eats Cheese?

Usually, they will re-hydrate your turtle or force-feed them with a fluid therapy treatment to ensure their dose can function normally. Indigestion will pass, and your turtle should return to its usual self. You might also notice that your turtle is lethargic after ingesting cheese or even aggressive.[11]

What Is A Box Turtles Favorite Food?

Ideally the protein should be whole live foods like earthworms, mealworms, beetles, grubs, crickets, slugs and snails. Are attracted to brightly colored fruits and vegetables: tomato, squash, carrots, red bell peppers, strawberries, cantaloupe.[12]

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What Foods Are Poisonous To Box Turtles?

Toxic Plants

For example, tomatoes are safe and they’re often a favorite of box turtles. But tomato leaves and vines are toxic. Other plants toxic to box turtles include rhubarb leaves, holly, oleander, avocado leaves and seeds, and plants in the nightshade family.[13]

Can Turtles Eat Green Onions?

Onion (Garden Onion, Common Onion, Bulb Onion)

Onions are known to be toxic to cattle, horses, birds, cats and dogs, and several sources say that they are toxic to tortoises and turtles as well, causing digestive problems if eaten in small amounts and more serious illness if eaten in quantity.[14]

Can Turtles Have Green Onions?

Dark, leafy greens such as romaine lettuce, kale, collard, mustard and dandelion greens should make up the bulk of the diet. Other greens to try include: bok choy, red leaf or green leaf lettuce, butter lettuce, water cress, escarole, parsley, turnip greens and green onions.[15]

Are Onions Poisonous To Tortoises?

Alliums. Alliums consist of onions, garlic, shallots, leeks, and chives. This group of plants is believed to be toxic to tortoises, causing digestive issues and more severe problems when eaten in large amounts.[16]

What Food Kills Turtles?

Toxic Plants

For example, tomatoes are safe and they’re often a favorite of box turtles. But tomato leaves and vines are toxic. Other plants toxic to box turtles include rhubarb leaves, holly, oleander, avocado leaves and seeds, and plants in the nightshade family.[17]

What Human Food Can Turtles Eat?

They especially like leafy green veggies, so kale, collard greens, and mustard greens are both healthy and delicious for them. They’ll also chow down on carrots, squash, green beans, and peas. As far as fruits go, you can give them bananas, apples, and pears, among other things.Jul 28, 2022[18]

Can You Eat Red Eared Slider Turtles?

Are red eared sliders edible? Yes, they are. But as red eared sliders are a very small turtle you may not get a good quantity of meat from them.[19]

What Can You Do With A Red-Eared Slider?

Give it to a friend/family member. Put flyers up at your local vets/pet stores. Many of these places allow adoptable pet fliers, and That Fish Place in Lancaster, PA occasionally will take in sliders to resell if they have room. Humane euthanasia (done by a vet, not at home.)[20]

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Are Red-Eared Slider Turtle Poisonous?

The turtle’s bite is painful, but it’s not dangerous or poisonous. The bite does not cause any real damage, although it can hurt kids with tiny fingers.[21]

Why Are Red-Eared Slider Turtles Illegal?

The sale and distribution of viable eggs and all small turtles (shell length less than 4 inches) was banned, excepting educational and research purposes, in the United States in 1975 after public health investigations showed that small turtles were a major source of human Salmonella infections.[22]

Are Red-Eared Sliders Cannibals?

While red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) are not highly aggressive turtles, cannibalism can and occasionally does, occur. Even if your hatchlings avoid being eaten by the adults, they must still compete with them for the finite resources of the cage, such as food, space and basking spots.[23]

Can Eastern Box Turtles Eat Carrots?

Carrots: Yes. Carrots are nutritional and can be fed alongside leafy greens. Box turtles tend to like brightly colored red, orange and yellow vegetables.[24]

Can Turtles Eat Raw Carrot?

Carrots are one of the best vegetables to feed your turtle. Once turtles get used to carrots, they often love to snack on these orange sticks. Most importantly, carrots are considered healthy for turtles. These vegetables are high in vitamin A, fiber, calcium, and phosphorus.Jul 28, 2022[25]

What Vegetables Can Box Turtles Eat?

Acceptable vegetables that should represent a high percentage of the box turtle’s diet include collard greens, beet greens, mustard greens, broccoli, turnip greens, alfalfa hay, bok choy, kale, parsley, Swiss chard, watercress, clover, red or green cabbage, savory, cilantro, kohlrabi, bell peppers, green beans, …[26]

What Can You Not Feed A Box Turtle?

Food Avoid to Feed Box turtlesBread, bakery products, and pasta.Candies, chocolate, and other products containing sugars.Processed meat and canned food.Avocado skin and pits.Tobacco leaves and products.Rhubarb.Tomato and potato leaves.Dairy products.[27]

What Can You Give Turtles To Eat?

Animal food sources.

Animal-based food sources for turtles can include processed pet foods like drained sardines, turtle pellets, and trout chow. You can also feed them cooked chicken, beef, and turkey. Live prey can include moths, crickets, shrimp, krill, feeder fish, and worms.Jul 7, 2021[28]

What Human Foods Can Turtles Eat?

They especially like leafy green veggies, so kale, collard greens, and mustard greens are both healthy and delicious for them. They’ll also chow down on carrots, squash, green beans, and peas. As far as fruits go, you can give them bananas, apples, and pears, among other things.[29]

What Food Kills Turtles?

Toxic Plants

For example, tomatoes are safe and they’re often a favorite of box turtles. But tomato leaves and vines are toxic. Other plants toxic to box turtles include rhubarb leaves, holly, oleander, avocado leaves and seeds, and plants in the nightshade family.[30]

Resources

[1]https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/turtles-aquatic-feeding
[2]https://www.pawtracks.com/other-animals/caring-for-turtles/
[3]https://www.turtleholic.com/what-to-feed-turtles-in-a-pond/
[4]https://mashable.com/article/turtles-eating-strawberries-videos
[5]https://petkeen.com/can-turtles-eat-strawberries/
[6]https://reptileknowhow.com/turtles/red-eared-sliders/safe-vegetables/
[7]https://reptile.guide/turtle-eating-strawberry/
[8]https://www.thesprucepets.com/what-should-i-feed-my-red-eared-slider-1238363
[9]https://small-pets.lovetoknow.com/what-do-turtles-eat
[10]https://www.atshq.org/what-do-box-turtles-eat/
[11]https://reptilehandbook.com/can-turtles-eat-cheese/
[12]https://avianandexotic.com/care-sheets/reptiles/box-turtle/
[13]https://animals.mom.com/plants-poisonous-box-turtles-2354.html
[14]https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/plant-database/viewplants/%3Fplant%3D629%26c%3D8
[15]https://allpetsvetnh.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Tortoise-Handout.pdf
[16]https://www.tortoiseknowledge.com/what-can-tortoises-not-eat/
[17]https://animals.mom.com/plants-poisonous-box-turtles-2354.html
[18]https://petkeen.com/human-foods-that-turtles-can-eat/
[19]https://www.pinterest.com/pin/813884963900962006/
[20]https://forgottenfriend.org/sliders/
[21]https://petkeen.com/do-red-eared-slider-turtles-bite-people/
[22]https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Invasives/Species/Redeared-Slider
[23]https://animals.mom.com/can-put-baby-red-eared-sliders-adults-10890.html
[24]https://www.everythingreptiles.com/what-do-box-turtles-eat/
[25]https://petkeen.com/can-turtles-eat-carrots/
[26]https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/turtles-box-feeding
[27]https://www.atshq.org/what-do-box-turtles-eat/
[28]https://pets.webmd.com/what-do-pet-turtles-eat
[29]https://petkeen.com/human-foods-that-turtles-can-eat/
[30]https://animals.mom.com/plants-poisonous-box-turtles-2354.html