What to feed the home land and water turtle? - this question interests both newly-minted owners of animals, and those who are only going to have a pet. Indeed, the care and feeding of turtles is an important issue on which the condition and health of the animal depends.
Experts subdivide the turtles into 3 groups depending on the type of their nutrition:
- Predatory. Consume 80-90% of animal food and 10-20% of plant foods. Most species of aquatic turtles are predatory;
- Omnivore. Consume 50% of animal and 50% of plant foods. The omnivores include marsh turtles and semi-aquatic ones;
- Herbivorous. Consume up to 90% of plant foods and about 10% of animals. These include most species of land tortoises.
When feeding turtles that are not suitable for their type of food, often there are problems with the health of the animal - problems with digestion and metabolism.
What to feed a tortoise?
Land turtles in the vast majority belong to the herbivores. The most popular domestic land tortoise is Central Asian. It easily adapts to domestic conditions and does not require increased attention.
The basis of feeding land tortoises is the green. Animals adore salad leaves, dandelion stems, lemon balm and plantain. In the diet of the turtle in small quantities must be present fruit
What to feed the sea and red-bellied turtles?
Of all the aquatic turtles at home, the red-bellied turtle is most common. Much less often - marsh and sea turtles. All these species belong to the predatory group.
It is best to feed red-bellied turtle suitable low-fat fish. Fish should be cut into small pieces and extracted from it large bones. Small bones are useful for turtles. For one feeding per week, water red-bellied turtles should be given beef or chicken liver. Meat plays an important role in the full nutrition of the red-bellied turtle. Animals should be given chicken and beef in boiled form, as well as crab meat, frogs and mice. Periodically turtles need to be fed with small snails, beetles, worms.
The older the red-bellied turtle is, the more plant food should be included in its diet. With age, these animals become omnivores and need much more green.
What to feed the turtle in the winter?
Turtles do not tolerate the cold, a short light day and lack of natural sunlight. In such periods, their food should be as varied as possible. Specialists recommend in the winter several times a week to give turtles special multivitamins.
Basic rules for feeding turtles:
- turtles are not recommended to be fed from the hands. They are for
a few days get used to the hands of a man and refuse to feed themselves; - When an animal takes food, it should not be irritated by loud noises and sharp smells. This, too, leads to digestive problems in turtle;
- The best time for turtle feeding is the morning hours;
- The bowl containing the food for the turtle must be kept clean;
- up to 2 years, turtles should be fed daily, older individuals 3-4 times a week.