Food for turtles. Keeping turtles at home

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

When you own a turtle, the first thing you should do is find out what this reptile eats. Not every food will benefit the animal, and besides, you should not give the same product all the time. Ask what turtle food contains all the necessary vitamins and minerals.

Turtle maintenance

The terrarium, which contains reptiles, is made large so as not to embarrass the animals. Terrestrial species may be kept in a plexiglass container. For water turtles, you should look for a food-grade plastic option. However, it is better to opt for ordinary glass. Specialized outlets offer a wide range of equipment for keeping reptiles. Sales consultants will help you choose the right one among them. The animal should be comfortable in it. To do this, you will need to organize a special temperature and light regime, control the humidity of the air.

Keeping terrestrial turtles outside the equipped area is a frequent occurrence. Experts advise against doing this because:

• The animal is at risk of injury orget stuck under furniture, between legs, etc.
• Drafts and cold floors are detrimental to turtle he alth.
• Household cleaning chemicals poison reptiles.

Turtle owners advise exposing pets to UV lamps. Low power devices are used for this purpose. The irradiation time is increased gradually, carefully observing the reaction of the turtle. Restless behavior is a signal that the procedure should be stopped immediately. Too much ultraviolet light causes burns.

Turtles at home feel great alone, so there is no need to keep several individuals. Buying 2 females and 1 male makes sense only for breeding.

Features of feeding turtles

Turtles are diurnal animals, so they feed during daylight hours. At first it was believed that the bog turtle was nocturnal, but later studies disproved this theory. The greatest appetite wakes up in them at high ambient temperatures. For this reason, turtles at home will not eat immediately after turning on the heating in the morning. At an ambient temperature of 30ºC, their digestive processes are one-third faster than in a colder environment.

It is better to start feeding the turtles 1.5-2 hours after turning on the heating, and finish no later than 3-4 hours before turning it off. The feeling of hunger betrays the behavior of the animal. The movements of land turtles becomerestless. Aquatic animals are constantly looking for edible items, but hungry ones do it too actively. Well-fed turtles are slowly searching.

Land turtles

The main component of their diet is food of plant origin, which contains natural vitamins, minerals and 70 to 90% water. Food for land turtles should be varied, its main components are as follows:

• Cabbage, dandelion and lettuce. The last two are given only in summer, they are good for digestion and contain many necessary substances.
• Carrots, beets. They are rubbed or finely cut.
• Cucumbers, tomatoes. Tomatoes are cut in half so as not to force the turtle to "chase the ball." Preference is given to crumpled and soft fruits.
• Fruits and berries. Give all edible, previously divided into two halves.
• Melons. Turtles willingly eat them, but after feeding it is necessary to wipe the mouth from sticky juice with wet cotton wool.
• Chicken egg. Hard boiled and cut after cooling.
• Cottage cheese, boiled fish.
• Chicken and beef meat in any form.
• Worms, bloodworms, garden snails, crickets and grasshoppers (immobilized).

Aquatic turtles

Food for land turtles is not used in the diet of water turtles. They require a different ratio of animal and plant components. Small turtles feed on bloodworms, tubifex, earthworms and dry food (daphnia, gammarus, etc.). These componentsenough for juveniles of large species.

Food for larger aquatic turtles should include:

• Beef and chicken in any form.
• Fish without heat treatment no more than 1 time per week, cut into pieces. Boiled more often.
• Insects and snails. From the water you can take only a horn coil and a large pond snail.

Turtle food should contain the required amount of vitamins. They are purchased at a pharmacy and added a few drops to prepared food.

Red-eared turtles

These animals are picky eaters, which complicates the task of the owners. Owners have to protect pets from eating harmful or inedible objects. In nature, food for red-eared turtles is molluscs, tadpoles, small fish and algae. In captivity, their diet should be as close to natural as possible: small snails, squid slices and crustaceans.

Food for red-eared turtles may partially consist of plants from the garden: dandelion and cabbage leaves, beet and carrot tops, hay. Duckweed, ludwigia and filamentous algae are planted in an aquarium with animals. Turtle can be given aloe, hibiscus, peas, clover, dry and germinated seeds. To prevent the growth of a long beak, branches of garden trees are placed on animals.

It is desirable to exclude meat from the diet. Worms are suitable as a source of protein. Artificial vitamins are also not recommended for them. The percentage of plant foods should increase with age.

Dry food ingredients

The package containing the dry turtle food contains promising labels such as "Balanced", "Scientifically Developed", etc. Inside it is a granulated dry matter consisting of natural food, vitamins and minerals.

Fodder intended for tortoises consists of granular legume flour, vegetable fats and proteins, vitamin and mineral complex. Their content corresponds to the needs of terrestrial species. However, the composition does not always contain amino acids of animal origin, vitamins A and E and essential trace elements.

Disadvantages of dry food

Their palatability deteriorates rapidly, and reptiles get used to them with great difficulty. The price of turtle food is much higher than the original ingredients purchased at the store. 100 g of dry mix will cost about 50 rubles.

Chemicals may be present in foods to extend shelf life, and sometimes the calcium content is out of proportion. Composing a diet for tortoises is possible without the use of concentrated mixtures, given the wide variety of herbal ingredients available. Feeding aquatic animals is more difficult to organize, so commercial products are more in demand.

Dry food quality

The quality of industrial feed leaves much to be desired. The basis of the mixture for water turtles is fishmeal, small crustaceans and vegetablesubstances. During the production process, the feed is exposed to high temperatures, which destroy some of its components. Even the main vitamins may not remain in the composition.

The quality of raw materials and the technology used affect the nutritional value of the obtained fishmeal. In some cases, food based on it does not even cover the current needs of the animal's body. There is no need to talk about normal growth. The composition of the mixture resembles a modified fish food, in which vitamins and minerals are added additionally. As a result, turtles do not eat them.

How to introduce dry food into the diet?

Zoos, professional terrariums try to avoid industrial mixtures, compiling the menu for reptiles on their own. The food for turtles kept in the house may be dry. This solution saves time and effort for the owner. This is much better for the turtle than a diet that is not tailored to the needs of the animal or consists of one ingredient.

Reptiles are reluctant to eat even high-quality dry mixes. It is necessary to accustom to them purposefully, gradually adding granules to vegetable or live feeds. Caring for a turtle that has switched to granular formulas is much easier.

Dry food "Tortilla"

The food was created on the basis of scientific research with the participation of veterinarians from St. Petersburg. Cabbage, berries, dandelion, insects, fishmeal - this is not a complete list of the natural ingredients of the Tortila mixture. Turtle food must contain them, because such products are included in the natural diet of reptiles. The vitamin-mineral complex present in the mixture helps pets feel better apart from their natural habitat.

Tortilla food is available in two versions:

• "Tortilla-M granules" is intended for water turtles. It can be used in the diet of other reptiles that are not herbivores. One pack contains 90 g of the product.
• "Tortilla granules" designed for tortoises. It contains a small amount of components of animal origin. The basis is products of plant processing. One pack contains 150 g of the mixture.

Tetra dry food

This is one common food for captive turtles. The granules are made in the form of sticks. It is used as the main battery, because it contains:

• Minerals required by reptiles in full. Participate in the process of growth of bone tissue and shell.
• Easily digestible proteins in large quantities. Strengthen smooth muscle tissue.
• Substances that accelerate growth.
• Vitamin Complex.
• Microelements.

Turtles take this dry mix well. Reptiles are not able to distinguish taste, so they are guided by their sense of smell when choosing food. Not the last role is played by the color and motor activity of the future food. The fishy smell of the food attracts turtles. Sold in packs of different sizes, from 100 ml to 1 liter. The key advantage is calcium saturation and a well-chosen combinationcomponents of the Tetra mixture. Turtle food does not make the water cloudy because it does not release dust.

Despite the good composition, dry mix should not be the only one in the diet. Fruits, fish, worms and greens should be on the table for reptiles. A detailed menu is compiled individually for each type of turtle.