Never feed your turtle cat food or dog food. It has too much protein and can cause long term damage.Feb 3, 2018[1]
Can Tortoises Eat Dry Cat Food?
The answer is a definite no. Tortoises (and turtles) should not eat cat or dog food. Your tortoise needs a low protein diet and neither cat or dog food supports this.[2]
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.[3]
What Do Dry Turtles Eat?
Shredded carrots, squash, and zucchini are great foods that turtles can eat, too. You can also go with edible aquatic vegetation such as water lettuce, water hyacinth, and duckweed. “For fruits, consider shredded apples and melons, as well as chopped berries,” recommends Dr. Starkey.[4]
What Should I Not Feed My Turtle?
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.[5]
Can Box Turtles Eat Hibiscus Flowers
As a treat, flowers such as geraniums, carnations, dandelions, hibiscus, nasturtiums, and roses may also be offered. ‘Fruit should be fed more sparingly than vegetables, since they are often preferred by box turtles over vegetables and tend to be less nutritious.'[6]
Can I Feed My Turtle Hibiscus?
Flowers: some turtles love flowers! Roses, pansies, petunias, lilies, carnations, hibiscus, hyssop, borage, nasturtium and geraniums are all okay as turtle food.[7]
Can Water Turtles Eat Hibiscus Flowers?
Tropical Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) flowers and leaves are nutritious favorites of many tortoises.[8]
Do Box Turtles Eat Flowers?
A Box turtle is an omnivore, meaning it will eat almost anything you offer it, including meat, vegetables, fruits, and flowers.[9]
What Flowers Can Box Turtles Have?
Not all plants are safe for box turtles. These include plants you feed to the box turtles and plants you have within the enclosure.Alfalfa. Planted Alfalfa sprouts growing. … Collard greens. … Golden Pothos. … Hibiscus. … Parsley. … Strawberry plant. … Weeping Fig. … Yucca.[10]
Can Musk Turtles Eat Strawberries
Can Musk Turtles Eat Fruit or Vegetables? Musk turtles can and will eat fruits and vegetables. Make sure to wash them to get rid of harmful microbes and parasites. If needed, cut them into smaller pieces so that it’s easier for your turtles to munch on them.[11]
What Fruits Can Musk Turtles Eat?
Shredded carrots, squash, and zucchini are great foods that turtles can eat, too. You can also go with edible aquatic vegetation such as water lettuce, water hyacinth, and duckweed. “For fruits, consider shredded apples and melons, as well as chopped berries,” recommends Dr. Starkey.[12]
Can I Feed My Musk Turtle 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.Jul 28, 2022[13]
What Is The Best Food For A Musk Turtle?
They are primarily carnivorous, although they do sometimes eat certain algae. In captivity, providing a varied diet will help to ensure that they remain happy and healthy. Commercial turtle pellets fed alongside high-protein foods such as earthworms, crickets, fish and shrimp are a good choice.[14]
Are Strawberries Healthy For Turtles?
Turtles can have strawberries as a treat from time to time (and they do seem to enjoy them!). Strawberries (and other fruits) contain a wide range of helpful nutrients such as vitamin C, potassium, folic acid, and fiber. Strawberries can be a great part of a healthy, balanced diet![15]
Can Turtles Eat Cabbage Leaves
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, …[16]
Can Tortoises Eat Cabbage Leaves?
Although not toxic, Cabbage contains goitrogens that interfere with thyroid activity and could damage the liver and kidneys. Therefore we do not advise feeding Cabbage to your tortoise.[17]
What Leafy Greens Can Turtles Eat?
Desirable vegetables to offer include dark leafy greens such as romaine lettuce, collard greens, mustard greens, carrot tops, endive, Swiss chard, kale, parsley, green beans, dandelion greens, turnip greens, and clover.[18]
What Leaves Do Turtles Eat?
The best veggies are chopped dark leafy greens such as kale, collard, and mustard greens, Dr. Starkey says. Shredded carrots, squash, and zucchini are great foods that turtles can eat, too. You can also go with edible aquatic vegetation such as water lettuce, water hyacinth, and duckweed.[19]
Can Musk Turtles Eat Cabbage?
What is this? Avoid feeding your turtles vegetables that contain little to no nutritional value, such as mushrooms, cucumbers, and eggplants. Instead, provide the turtles with fresh, nutritious vegetables, such as kale, collard, mustard greens, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, celery, and watercress.[20]
Can Turtles Eat Guava
Fruit should be fed more sparingly than vegetables, since they are often preferred by box turtles over vegetables and tend to be less nutritious. Fruits to offer include apples, pears, bananas (with skin), mango, grapes, star fruit, raisins, peaches, tomato, guava, kiwis, and melons. Fruits that are particularly …[21]
Can My Tortoise Eat Guava?
In any case do not feed the fruit to your tortoise, unless it is one of the fruit-eating species (Redfoots, Yellowfoots, Box Turtles etc.), and then only in moderation.[22]
What Foods Are Poisonous To Turtles?
Toxicity level ranges from mild to severe, depending on the plant:Amaryllis (Amaryllis belladonna)Carolina Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)Asparagus Fern (Asparagus sprengerii)Avocado (leaves, seeds) (Persea americana)Azalea, Rhododendron species.Bird of Paradise shrub (Poinciana gilliesii/Caesalpinia gilliesii)[23]
What Fruit Turtle Can Eat?
Fruits can include apples, cantaloupe, bananas, berries, and mangoes. You can also feed them non-toxic aquatic plants like water hyacinth, water lettuce, and duckweed.[24]
Can Aquatic Turtles Eat Fruit?
Most aquatic turtles are omnivores and enjoy eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, and small creatures. Also, they need that variety in order to be healthy.[25]
Can Box Turtles Eat Hot Dogs
False. Turtles are carnivores that must eat live food like snails, fish and worms. You can also feed them prepared turtle food from a pet store. They should not be fed hot dogs, raw hamburger and cat food – stuff that they would not normally find in the wild.Jan 28, 2018[26]
Can You Feed Box Turtles Hot Dogs?
Hot dogs can be part of a balanced turtle diet, but can also cause serious damage.Jul 29, 2021[27]
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.[28]
Can Box Turtles Eat Meat?
Box turtles are omnivores which means that they eat just about anything, including vegetables, fruits, and meat.[29]
What Meat Can I Feed My Box Turtle?
Depending on the age, breed, and health status of your box turtle, your veterinarian may or may not recommend feeding animal-based protein sources. When offered, some appropriate animal-based protein sources include grasshoppers, crickets, mealworms, wax worms, silkworms, moths, slugs, earthworms, and hard-boiled eggs.[30]
Resources
[1]https://www.worldturtleday.org/single-post/2018/02/03/the-abcs-of-turtle-and-tortoise-feeding
[2]https://www.tortoiseowner.com/can-a-tortoise-eat-cat-or-dog-food/
[3]https://petkeen.com/human-foods-that-turtles-can-eat/
[4]https://www.petmd.com/reptile/nutrition/what-do-turtles-eat
[5]https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/turtles-aquatic-feeding
[6]https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/turtles-box-feeding
[7]http://aquafind.com/articles/turtle4.php%23:~:text%3DFlowers%253A%2520some%2520turtles%2520love%2520flowers,all%2520okay%2520as%2520turtle%2520food.
[8]https://tortoise.org/general/edibplan.html%23:~:text%3DTropical%2520Hibiscus%2520(Hibiscus%2520rosa%252Dsinensis,nutritious%2520favorites%2520of%2520many%2520tortoises.
[9]https://www.atshq.org/what-do-box-turtles-eat/%23:~:text%3DA%2520Box%2520turtle%2520is%2520an,vegetables%252C%2520fruits%252C%2520and%2520flowers.
[10]https://www.allturtles.com/box-turtle-safe-plants/
[11]https://aquariumgenius.com/what-do-musk-turtles-eat/
[12]https://www.petmd.com/reptile/nutrition/what-do-turtles-eat
[13]https://petkeen.com/can-turtles-eat-strawberries/
[14]https://www.thesprucepets.com/common-musk-turtles-as-pets-4773188
[15]https://reptile.guide/turtle-eating-strawberry/
[16]https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/turtles-box-feeding
[17]https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/plant-database/viewplants/%3Fplant%3D621%26c%3D8
[18]https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/turtles-aquatic-feeding
[19]https://www.petmd.com/reptile/nutrition/what-do-turtles-eat
[20]https://aquariumgenius.com/what-do-musk-turtles-eat/
[21]https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/turtles-box-feeding
[22]https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/plant-database/viewplants/%3Fplant%3D733%26c%3D4
[23]https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/plants-toxic-to-turtles.htm
[24]https://pets.webmd.com/what-do-pet-turtles-eat
[25]https://thetyedyediguana.com/blog/what-do-i-feed-my-aquatic-turtle/
[26]https://www.worldturtleday.org/single-post/2018/01/28/10-common-turtle-myths
[27]https://turtleinformation.com/can-turtles-eat-hot-dogs/
[28]https://www.atshq.org/what-do-box-turtles-eat/
[29]https://small-pets.lovetoknow.com/diet-feeding-your-box-turtle
[30]https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/turtles-box-feeding