Turtles aren’t exactly the preferred pet by just anyone. Unlike dogs or cats that can live in your room, turtles need their own pond-like habitat, where they can waddle along the ground or swim in the water. Still, turtles are a popular pet for those who are interested in something more exotic than your usual mutt or kitty.
If you have a pet turtle, you will need to provide the best care possible. In most cases, basic turtle food won’t be enough to sustain him and keep him happy. You will need to give your turtle a good variety of food that is appropriate to their species.
Here are a few ideas and tips.
- Buy turtle food form the store. You can purchase canned pellets or food from any reputable pet store. If you’re not sure of what kind of food to buy for your turtle, you can ask the store clerk to recommend a good brand or kind of food for your turtle. Store-bought canned food should comprise about a quarter to half of your pet turtle’s diet.
- You should also include live animals in your pet turtle’s regular diet. This can include various small animals, like earthworms, crickets, mealworms and feeder fish. You can also include small insects like bugs and beetles. You can purchase these from the pet store or you can get in touch with a dealer for a regular supply of live animals for your turtle. Live insects should comprise about a quarter of your turtle’s diet.
- Be careful about feeding your turtle insects or bugs that you find in your garden. These might contain pesticides, which are harmful to turtles when ingested. These might also have diseased that might cause your turtle to become worse off.
- You should also include green and leafy vegetables in your pet’s regular diet. Include some lettuce, carrots, spinach, raw potatoes and apples. You should shred or cut these so that your turtle will have an easier time chewing and ingesting the meal. Greens should comprise another quarter of your pet’s diet.
- You should feed your pet turtle on a consistent basis. In most cases, once a day will be all right. Don’t over-feed your turtle, even if he seems always hungry. It’s best to stick to a routine that’s convenient to you—such as before leaving for work or school, or right before dinnertime.
- Note that you should never feed table food or raw meat to your turtle. Turtles have different nutritional needs compared to humans, and they will not appreciate human food aside from the green veggies indicated above.
As a recap, your turtle’s food should be 50% canned pellets, 25% green, leafy veggies, and 25% live insects or worms. Remember to stick to your routine of feeding your turtle once a day. Once you have set a definite time in a day to feed him he will learn to adapt to this feeding schedule, and his growth and development will also be in line with this schedule.