How many times a day and what to feed red-eared turtles at home?

The red-eared slider is the most common species of pet turtle.
This reptile has a medium size, interesting color and has a fairly high level of intelligence. In intelligence it is superior to many other species of its own kind. The red-eared one appeared in artificial terrariums many years ago; now such a pet can be purchased at any pet store. She is considered a long-liver: under favorable conditions, the pet can live thirty - forty (30 - 40) years. However, many owners of such a reptile do not know how often, what and in what quantities to feed their red-eared turtle . In our article we will try to answer this important question.

Keeping a red-eared turtle at home

For a pet to live at home, many different accessories are required, some of which are quite expensive. But it all depends on the manufacturer. Below is a list of mandatory things that are necessary for keeping and caring for an animal:

• aquarium;
• 100 Watt water heater;
• filters;
• UV lamp;
• pet heating lamp;
• thermometer;
• lamp;
• island, shore and land.

Components of an aquarium for a turtle

The list is quite impressive, but every detail is necessary.

Aquarium

A pet needs a large aquarium, optimally 200 liters. For a small turtle that has just been purchased and brought home, 10–15 liters will be enough. To avoid unnecessary hassle, it is better to accustom your pet to a large house in advance. This will make it easier for him to swim, since the animal must move and develop its muscular system and not become obese.

The water level must be adjusted so that the pet can stick its muzzle out of the water while standing on its hind legs. If the aquarium is initially deep, you can put a piece of wood or stone on the bottom.

Aquarium for turtle

When choosing soil, pay attention to its size and do not use small stones. In the process of eating and collecting food from the surface, a turtle may get carried away and start eating stones, which will lead to death or illness

You also need to be especially careful when choosing algae for the aquarium, because many species, for example, Elodea or Ambulia, are poisonous to aquarium reptiles

Lamps

In order for a turtle to produce Vitamin D, it needs to be exposed to ultraviolet light. Since there is enough similar lighting in nature, when keeping a turtle at home, it needs to be created. In this case, household lamps will not be useful, since they are difficult to position along the entire length of the aquarium.

Ultraviolet lamp location

The most popular lamp for lighting an aquarium in which reptiles live is Repti Glo 5. For comfortable lighting, you need to place the lamps at a distance of 40–50 cm from each other. Also, lighting and heating play a significant role in the process of metabolism and other functions. If your pet doesn't have enough light and heat, he may hibernate and his activity will decrease.

Island

Pet stores offer a wide selection of aquarium islands to suit every taste and budget.

But when buying, be sure to pay attention to the material of manufacture. Also, the main indicator of reliability is the method of attachment to the bottom of the aquarium.

For example, good islands have suction cups on the bottom, which help prevent the island from slipping on a wet surface.

But keep in mind that when the turtle grows and its weight reaches 1 kg, the suction cups will constantly come off, and the island will float throughout the aquarium. Therefore, instead of an island, it is better to use a special bridge-platform on which the turtle can climb and move.

Island with suction cups

When installing such a platform, it is necessary to install a ladder to it, which will not interfere with the pet’s swimming in the water. The reptile will sit on it when it is already too hot under the lamp.

Filter and heater

These two important components must be selected based on the volume of the aquarium and the amount of water in it. Modern pet stores offer filters that allow you not to change the water for a very long time. If the filter is placed outside the aquarium, it requires much less maintenance. And you can be sure that the turtle will not accidentally or intentionally remove it from the mount, bite the wire and eat the suction cup. If we talk about the heater, it needs to be set automatically to regulate the water temperature from 21 to 27 C.

You should always monitor the cleanliness of the water in the aquarium. After all, pets sleep, eat and even mate in water. The filter will help make the water cleaner, because dirty water is a source of infection and the spread of bacteria.

Artificial feed

Pet stores provide pet owners with a huge selection of food for land and aquatic turtles. It is sold in capsules, granules, tablets and flakes. The large amount of food produced by manufacturers does not always meet the needs of a particular species. Often, turtle food is modified fish food. Some animals are irritated by the pungent smell, and they demonstratively turn away from it. There are foods in which the content of calcium, protein and vitamins does not meet the needs of turtles. But some animals are happy to eat only food. Of the manufacturing companies, JBL, Sera, Nutra Fin, Tetra have proven themselves well.

Homemade food for red-eared turtles

If store-bought artificial food is not suitable, you can prepare your own treats for turtles.

Feed composition:

• cabbage – 50 gr.;
• carrots – 70 gr.;
• non-fatty fish – 145 g;
• apples – 50 gr.;
• squid meat – 100 gr.

Feeding frequency of the red-eared slider

One of the main causes of many reptile diseases? banal overfeeding with protein foods. Excessive nutrition can lead to pyramidal carapace, obesity, tympany, etc. Excess food is especially dangerous at a young age, during the period of active development.

Young red-eared turtles (up to 12 cm in size at the plastron and up to one and a half years old) are fed every day only once in the morning or afternoon. The serving size directly depends on the pet’s appetite and liveliness. Give enough food at a time so that the reptile eats it within half an hour. As a rule, these are 2-3 pieces of fish measuring 1 cubic meter. cm. In case of lack of appetite in a young turtle, the portion size is reduced or a small hunger strike is arranged for 1-2 days.

Adult turtles, aged from one to one and a half years, are gradually transferred to feeding the main food once every few days. At the same time, there may be plant food in the terrarium so that the reptile can eat on the remaining days.

In natural conditions, red-eared turtles feed on both plant and animal foods.

When keeping these animals at home, it is important to properly organize their diet so that it is as close to natural as possible in terms of calories and the content of essential nutrients. Red-eared turtles living at home need a balanced diet, including all the substances they need. In nature, the animal can independently find sources of vitamins and minerals for itself, but at home you should take care of this

Red-eared turtles are fed mainly with animal food: tubifex, earthworm, coils (small snails), mussels, zofobas squid. The main food is raw, lean fish. Fat content, which is up to 3.0%. (hake, blue whiting, pollock, cod, perch (freshwater), and many other fish) It is advisable to give the fish with giblets. The best RIVER FISH. Also: chicken or beef liver, raw green shrimp, and with a shell for calcium. You can introduce live food, small fish (guppies), and let them hunt. Also, for calcium, you can give chopped, crushed fish ridges (if they are very large), and you need to cut off the long sharp ribs from the ridge! A good source of calcium is the so-called “Sepia” - this is cuttlefish bone, which can be bought in poultry departments, but without any additives! https://vk.com/photo-92141466_362493610 Just throw it in the aquarium and let the turtle chew whenever he wants. You can also offer greenflies: lettuce, dandelion leaves, plantain, seaweed, duckweed - for coarse fiber. You can throw duckweed directly into the aquarium and let it float. The diet of aquatic turtles must include insects: mealy bug larvae, various beetles, grasshoppers. Do not allow pet poisoned cockroaches!

Liver once a week to prevent vitamin deficiency; give zophobas rarely, it is very fatty.

In summer, turtles benefit from feeding grasshoppers, beetles, non-hairy caterpillars and other non-poisonous insects.

How many times to feed your turtle: Baby turtles should be fed once a day. The best time for feeding is when it has woken up and warmed up on land, therefore the turtle then climbs onto land again to digest the food. If you feed in the evening, then the lamps should be on for about two more hours, so that she also has time to digest the food before the lamps turn off.

The portion should be no more than a turtle's head.

Adults are more than 2 years old and are fed 2-3 times a week. If the turtle has reached 12 cm in shell, then feed it every other day.

Everything is raw! Do not cook or fry anything! And only then will your turtle be as happy as this one...)

Basic feeding rules

To properly feed a red-eared turtle, you must comply with the basic conditions and some subtleties:

• Any food needs to be cut into pieces: the smaller the turtle, the smaller the pieces.

Any food needs to be cut into pieces

• Aquatic reptiles tear large pieces with their sharp claws, so that plant food can be fed whole.
• Before serving, products must be washed, seeds and peels removed.
• The pet should eat the food within 30 minutes. The serving size should be calculated based on this indicator, and should not exceed half the size of the shell. You can also give pieces of food the size of the reptile's head.
• Feed should be given at room temperature. Very cold food is harmful to your pet's health.
• Turtles search for food using their vision. The more attractive the color of the food, the faster she will find and eat it. For this you can use carrots and tomatoes.
• It is better to feed your pet in the morning, but it is not essential. It is important that she has time to digest what she eats during daylight hours or with the lamp on.
• Uneaten food must be immediately removed from the reservoir - this way the reptile will develop the habit of eating at certain hours.

There are different ways to feed armored animals: with tweezers, from a special bowl, or by throwing them into water.

You can feed red-eared turtles with tweezers

It is best to feed the red ear in another aquarium or basin, because leftover food will contaminate the terrarium, and the water will have to be replaced frequently.

You can also teach him to eat on an island equipped in the aquarium. First, food is placed at the very edge of the shore near the water. If the reptile is hungry, it will have to take food. So gradually get used to eating from a small saucer with water.

You should not hand feed your reptile too often to avoid getting used to this method of feeding and refusing to eat differently. There is also a risk of being bitten.

You cannot distract your pet while eating: sudden movements and loud sounds frighten him.

How often?

And another significant issue for turtle owners is the frequency of feeding. Here, there is no need to focus on how often the red-eared turtle feeds on something, if you do not put restrictions on it - these creatures are not endowed with increased intelligence, and eat as much as food appears within reach.

Therefore, it is recommended to give food to very small turtles a couple of times a day, and to those that have reached adulthood – once every two to three days (but in sufficient quantities).

The volume of food is the size of 2 pet heads.

Between main meat meals, you can feed with plant foods - washed duckweed, pieces of vegetables or fruits. And don’t be afraid to leave your pets hungry – it’s even good for them; overfeeding is much more harmful than underfeeding!

Author - Dasha Blinova, website www.sympaty.net - Beautiful and Successful. This article has been checked and approved by a veterinarian. Knyazeva Anna Vladimirovna, veterinarian in private practice, Moscow. Learn more about the site's authors. Copying this article is prohibited!

Plant-based food

Plant foods are necessary for all turtles, but as they age they make up the majority of their diet.

Grass

Animals love plantain, clover, vetch, dandelion leaves and rhubarb. In addition, they can be given lawn grass, coltsfoot, sprouted barley and oats.

Fruits and berries

It is recommended to cut plums, apples, pears, bananas, peach, mango into small pieces and offer them to the turtle as a treat. Tangerine, orange, apricot and melon are also suitable for feeding animals.

Aquarium plants

It is preferable to plant duckweed, spirogyra, water beetle, and pond algae. The turtles do not allow the plants to grow even a little - they are instantly eaten. You should refrain from planting elodea! The plant secretes poisonous sap and poses a danger to animals.

Vegetables

The diet should include bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplants. You can’t do without pumpkin, radishes, legumes, carrots and beets. Broccoli, celery, and dry seaweed are given as additional food.

Mushrooms

Pieces of boletus, champignons, and russula are recommended to be given to animals no more than once a week.
Attention!

Human food is not suitable for turtles! They will also happily eat food intended for other animals, but it will not benefit the turtles. It is forbidden to feed citrus peels or give berries with seeds.

Feeding frequency of red-eared turtles

How often you need to feed depends on the age of the pet, the type of food, and the time of year.

Small reptiles, whose age is less than a year or whose size is up to 10-12 cm (the red-eared turtle is measured by the abdominal shield of the shell), need to be fed 1-2 times a day, every day.

Serving sizes depend on your pet's activity. Experts advise that in order to find out the amount of food for one feeding, you need to track how much the animal eats in half an hour and give that much each time. The approximate amount of food is equal to half the reptile's shell.

If a young turtle ignores food and does not eat, then it is worth reducing the portion size and keeping the pet hungry for 1-2 days.

If the red-eared turtle is older than a year, then it should be fed 2-3 times a week. At the same time, the terrarium should have plant food that the pet can eat whenever it wants.

The older the red-eared turtle is, the less often it needs to be fed, up to once a week.

But you need to take into account that reptiles have different appetites, so it is important to carefully monitor your pet: the turtle communicates what it wants to eat by its behavior

She shows activity when she sees her owner, tries to attract attention to herself in various ways, hits the water with her paws and splashes, but as soon as you feed her, she calms down. Thus, the reptile can ask for food every day, or maybe once every 7 days

When an adult refuses food, it is advised to reduce the amount and give it less often.

It must be remembered that the red-eared turtle is diurnal and the rate of its metabolism depends on the temperature, so it should be fed in the morning or during the day, but if you give it food before turning off the lamp, then there is a possibility that the food will not be digested, but will settle in the stomach and will begin to rot.

How much red-eared turtles eat depends on the time of year: in spring and summer they eat more, and in winter less, as they hibernate.

If the turtle is exhausted, then it should be fed every day, the amount of food should be as much as the pet will eat.

Dangerous products

Despite the fact that these reptiles are omnivorous and unpretentious, their capabilities are not limitless. You need to remember this when getting a red-eared turtle.

So. What should you not feed red-eared turtles? First of all, this is human food: sausages, canned food, dairy products, cheeses, flour products. You should not feed red-eared turtles just anything. The small amount of food they eat per day should bring maximum benefits for growth and proper development.

Foods and vitamins designed for fish, cats and dogs do not meet the needs of reptiles. They can cause severe disorders, and with constant use - irreversible consequences.

Fatty meats and fish will not benefit digestion. They are harmful to the turtle's stomach and liver. In addition, the fatty film can harm the health of the skin, eyes and shell, and spoil the water in the aquarium and the biofilter.

Among plant products, all types of citrus fruits and other sour fruits, spicy vegetables (onions, garlic), and spicy herbs are dangerous. Some types of algae (Elodea, Ambulia and Lagenandra) are toxic to reptiles.

What do red-eared turtles eat in the wild?

Under natural conditions, turtles demonstrate almost complete omnivory, but still the basis of their diet is various animal foods. In general, it is impossible to call a turtle a good hunter - it is only capable of catching fry, tadpoles, small fish (given its abundance in the river), and it does not disdain snails, small crustaceans, and plankton...

What do red-eared turtles eat from the plant “menu”? These are usually aquatic plants that contain important minerals for redfish, which are necessary for the strength and growth of the turtle's shell.

In addition, the process of grinding down the horny plates in the turtle’s mouth occurs on hard twigs - they replace teeth for these reptiles and grow constantly, that is, they need to be rubbed off against something all the time.

Drinking regime

Red-eared turtles from the family of freshwater turtles live in the wild in small lakes with well-warmed water by the sun or ponds with swampy shores. For these reptiles, fresh water is vital (they cannot live without it for even a couple of days). The redfish spends its entire life in water - activity and sleep, eating and the process of defecation.

The red-eared turtle spends its entire life in water - activity, sleep, eating

The question of whether a turtle has a need to drink has not been fully studied. The structural features of her body do not allow water to linger: in the process of drinking, it pours out of her nostrils and flows down her neck. Moisture, so necessary for reptiles, penetrates through its skin, as well as from the products it eats.

Ready food

Feeding a red-eared turtle exclusively with dry food is highly discouraged, but ready-made food can be included as an addition to the main diet, which should make up no more than 5-10% of the total diet. There are several manufacturers with more or less balanced nutrition for turtles. These include:

• Tetra,
• Nutra Fin,
• JBL,
• Sera.

A wide range of such food is produced in the form of flakes, tablets, granules and even capsules.

DIY turtle food

You can prepare food for your red-eared turtle at home.

For these purposes the following ingredients are needed:

• 70 grams of carrots,
• 50 grams of apples,
• 50 grams of white cabbage,
• 100 grams of squid meat,
• 150 grams of fish.

All this is passed through a meat grinder. Two eggs, prepared gelatin (dilute 30 grams in 150 ml of hot water until completely dissolved), 150 ml of milk are added to the mixture.

After stirring, let it cool and add twenty drops of the vitamin balance-correcting drug Tetravit.

This food can be stored in the refrigerator for one week. Before use, it must be cut into pieces. This volume of food is enough for 10 feedings for a turtle with a shell fifteen centimeters long.

Canned food for turtle

Pampered pets often refuse pelleted food. Soft, fresh food tastes much better. You can prepare a delicious and aromatic combination food with your own hands. It will help save time on daily cooking for young animals.

Grind 300 g of vegetables (carrots, zucchini, pumpkin, cabbage, apples) and 300 g of seafood or fish in a blender. 300 ml of milk and four eggs are poured into the mixture. According to the instructions, gelatin is diluted in 300 ml of water. A few drops of Tetravit will balance the composition of the feed. The hardened mixture is hermetically sealed with a lid. It can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. Before feeding red-eared turtles, the product is warmed to room temperature. The amount of food is designed for approximately a week for two average individuals.

How much to feed red-eared turtles

General recommendations for how much to feed a red-eared slider may vary depending on the age and preferences of the individual animal.

Feeding red-eared turtles up to a year old should be daily, with a preponderance of meat in the diet. After a year, the frequency of feedings is reduced. Giving food is allowed after one to two days. Adults can feed once every three days.

It is important to monitor your pet, prevent overeating, and offer your pet a variety of foods. Red-eared turtles are very cute animals that do not require walking, special care or vaccinations.

They are much easier to keep than a dog or cat. They do not make sounds, do not interfere with sleep, and it is a pleasure to watch them. Children especially love turtles.

Red-eared turtles are very cute animals that do not require walking, special care or vaccinations. They are much easier to keep than a dog or cat. They do not make sounds, do not interfere with sleep, and it is a pleasure to watch them. Children especially love turtles.

These harmless animals will not cause harm, will not bite or injure their owner. But in order for a turtle to please its owner for many years, it needs to be fed properly.

Small turtles under two years of age need to be fed once or twice a day. How often should you feed a red-eared slider older than two years? Here opinions differ. Experts believe that it is necessary to reduce the feeding of an adult animal to twice a week. But turtle owners build their version based on their own observations.

They feed their pets on demand, that is, a turtle can ask for food every day or once a week. The animal communicates hunger by being overly active at the sight of its breadwinner, hitting the water with its paws, plopping down and showing various signs of attention. After feeding, the turtle calms down and settles down on the shore for a comfortable rest.

The frequency of feeding may depend on the type of food. When a turtle receives a balanced diet and saturates its body with all the necessary elements, it can refrain from eating for several days. How often should you feed red-eared turtles if they don’t ask?

In this case, it is worth first reducing the feeding to once a day and seeing if they eat everything. If the animal immediately rushes at the food and immediately swallows it, it means that everything needs to be left as it is. But when the turtle leaves a lot of food and goes to it without much desire, then you need to try feeding it once every two days.

Based on all of the above, it can be noted that you need to feed the turtle on demand. The most important thing is to try not to overfeed the animal. It is better to let it remain a little hungry after eating than to suffer from obesity later.

The turtle should swim easily in the water and calmly crawl onto the shore. Obesity will force her to be in the water all the time without the ability to put her head in the shell. But there is no need to starve either.

Despite the fact that turtles can go without food for up to 30 days, their hungry look and demanding gestures should encourage the owner to feed.

Vitamins and mineral supplements

Under natural conditions, the turtle eats small fish and shellfish along with bones and shells. This provides the body with building material for a strong shell and skeletal bones. Mineral supplements help bring home feeding of purified fish and meat closer to natural food: bone meal, crushed eggshells, pharmaceutical preparation of calcium gluconate or sulfate. The powder is usually mixed with soft food before feeding to red-eared turtles. You can dip pieces of meat or fish into the mineral mixture and offer the treat from your hands. Young animals should be given 5 g daily, adults – two to three times a week, 10 g of mineral supplements.

To compensate the red-eared turtle for the lack of sun, a UV lamp is placed in the aquaterrarium and the diet is enriched with vitamin D3, A, C, E. To do this, “Trivit”, “Tetravit” or other multivitamin preparations are added to the food once a week, three to four drops.

Pet stores offer complex vitamin and mineral supplements: Reptile Calcium, Reptile Multi-Vitamins, ReptoCal, ReptoLife, ReptoVit, Reptilife and others. For picky reptiles that won't accept food with additives, there is Nature's Reptile Vita-Spray for topical use. The turtle's skin and shell are sprayed with it every day. It affects bone tissue, being absorbed throughout the entire surface of the body.

Such drugs are given without a veterinarian's prescription, but strictly according to the instructions, in accordance with the weight and age of the turtle. Vitamin complexes designed for warm-blooded animals are strictly contraindicated.

You can compensate for the lack of chlorine ions by adding 0.5-1.5 liters of still mineral water to the aquaterrarium.

Reproduction of representatives of the species

Representatives of this species mate from the age of 4 (males) and from 5 years (females). In order for animals to produce offspring in the future, you need to prepare an aquarium in advance. The water level should be at least 10 cm. This is necessary so that the female does not remain without water for a long time during the mating period. Then you need to prepare a dry place where the female will lay eggs in the future.

For proper mating, there should only be one boy and one girl in the aquarium. Otherwise, male turtles will fight, and they do it very aggressively - they bite off each other’s tails and paws. After the female lays eggs, they must be transferred to an incubator - a container with sand. The layout is similar to a chicken incubator. The ideal temperature for egg maturation is 25–27 C. On average, it takes about 5 months for a turtle to be born.

Incubator container

After hatching, the babies should not be allowed into the aquarium with adults, since the latter do not have developed maternal and paternal instincts, and they can attack turtles.

If turtles are properly cared for and feeding recommendations are followed, they will delight their owners for decades.

Dreaming of becoming the owner of a reptile, pet store visitors often opt for the red-eared turtle

This animal does not require careful care, but feeding the turtle must be approached with special attention. The harmless reptile is a real predator, so you need to feed it not only plant food, but also protein food, which will make the red-eared turtle healthy

Predatory turtles

The diet of these pets consists of 90% meat. Trionics, aquatic and young red-eared turtles, as well as marsh turtles belong to this species.

These pets should be offered lean fish, beef, chicken, and fish liver. Adults can eat large pieces; for young turtles, it is better to cut their food into smaller pieces.

Turtles eat seafood raw; fish also does not need to be thermally processed.

Pork, beef, sausage, minced sausages, cheeses, bread, fruits and fatty fish are prohibited for predatory turtles. It is best to feed with prepared dry food.

How to maintain?

If you want to get this animal, be prepared for the fact that you will have to purchase a separate large aquaterrarium for it. In the summer, she will feel great in the pond, but with the onset of cold weather, she will have to be moved home. Keep in mind: if you want to release a turtle into a pond on your property, this predator will destroy all its inhabitants, including fish and other turtles.

This turtle is insensitive to the composition of water, decor, etc. The main thing it needs is a lot of space and good filtration, since these predators have an excellent appetite and, accordingly, defecate often. Uneaten food left after a meal spoils and the aquarium becomes dirty, which can cause the turtle to get sick.

The snapping turtle needs a shore. In nature, they rarely bask in the sun, but often crawl onto land. It is unlikely that the aquaterrarium is large enough for your pet to crawl along the shore, but she will need a place to warm up sometimes. The aquaterrarium should be equipped with a heating lamp (place it high enough so that the turtle does not overheat) and a UV lamp to absorb vitamin D.

Feeding process

Reptiles feed in water, since saliva does not form in the mouth, and there is nothing to moisten the food with. In order to swallow food, the turtle needs to dive headfirst. Reptiles can swallow small prey immediately. They tear large pieces with their claws and beak. Most of it becomes unusable and the turtle cannot pick it up. Therefore, the food should be finely chopped. Many breeders place turtles in a separate container with warm water during feeding so that the water in the aquaterrarium is less polluted.

Products should always be fresh and at room temperature.

In a warm aquarium environment, food spoils quickly. Therefore, you cannot give the whole portion at once; it is better to offer one piece at a time.

How can you hand feed a red-eared turtle? Any pieces of solid food are suitable for taming, except ready-made dry food. The granule should get wet so that the turtle does not injure its oral cavity. The animal will not be able to take a slippery small lump of food from the hands without biting the owner’s finger. Red-eared turtles are active, strong and fast. You should remember this when giving your reptile a treat.

How long should you feed your red-eared slider? Food is usually offered within 15-30 minutes. During this time, the reptile can become sufficiently full. Remains of food must be removed from the aquaterrarium. If your turtle is active and appears healthy but refuses to eat, there is no need to continue feeding or replace the diet with a favorite treat. Most likely, there is no appetite due to lack of exercise. However, it is worth checking the temperature and quality of the water, as well as continuing to monitor the turtle.

In aquaterrariums with several inhabitants (especially those of different ages), competition should be limited. All pets should receive enough food during feeding time.

How many times should you feed your red-eared slider? Although turtles spend all their time searching for food, digging up the soil and turning over rocks at the bottom, they should only be fed once a day at the same time. It is advisable that it coincides with the period of greatest activity of the reptile. It must be borne in mind that digestion in cold-blooded animals is slow. Feeding is done several hours before bedtime so that the food has time to digest.

The dangers of overfeeding and underfeeding

Overfeeding a red-eared turtle can cause:

• abnormal growth of young individuals, in which case they have a disproportionately large shell and fragile, small paws;
• obesity in adult reptiles, you can see fat on their sides when they pull their paws into the shell, skin folds that look like bubbles are visible;
• the pyramidality of the shell, in which tubercles can be seen on it; this pathology provokes various diseases of the internal organs of the turtle;
• tympany, in which the reptile does not sink in the water and falls on its right side, undigested food is visible in the feces, it can blow bubbles from its mouth, and vomiting is possible.

Lack of food will lead to exhaustion of the pet, in which skin peels off from the reptile's paws.

This is why it is so important to know how much and how often to feed red-eared turtles.

What can overfeeding cause?

An important condition for the nutrition of a red-eared pet is not only a variety of diet, but also a regime. Overfeeding leads to diseases: pyramidal shell and obesity.

Not only the diet, but also the regimen is considered an important condition for nutrition.

Overeating in juveniles is extremely harmful, because they are actively developing, as well as during the adaptation period after purchasing or after illness of a red-eared turtle.

It is not recommended to force feed turtles. But long-term fasting is also contraindicated for them.

A healthy reptile should swim freely in the water and easily crawl onto the island. Excess weight will prevent the turtle from hiding its head in its shell.

Diet of an adult red-eared turtle

Proper care of the red-eared turtle and its maintenance at home require the preparation of a special diet that is as close as possible to what reptiles eat in nature: Raw river and sea fish

constitutes approximately half the diet of an adult. Low-fat types of fish are useful: pike, cod, hake, herring, blue whiting, pollock, halibut, perch, etc. The fish is fed completely: with bones, head and even entrails, i.e. just as it happens in living nature.

Beef or poultry by-products (liver and heart)

– an excellent source of vitamin A, responsible for the growth and condition of the reptile’s skin. Its deficiency causes disruption of the epithelium, detachment of the horny scutes, eye disease and other diseases. Eating organ meats to your red-eared slider on a regular basis, about once a week, prevents many health problems.

Crustaceans, mollusks, various insects (crickets, bloodworms, coretra, earthworms, etc.)

– a good source of vitamins and calcium.
They are fed to the turtle once every two weeks. Green plant food
relieves the digestive system after heavy protein foods and helps diversify the diet. The diet of an adult red-eared slider should consist of 40-50% plants. They mainly use aquatic and meadow plants: hornwort, water hyacinth, clumps of filamentous plants, dandelion leaves, lettuce, clover, etc.

Vegetables and fruits.

They are offered to adult red-eared turtles. Apples, pears, grapes, tangerines, cucumbers, zucchini, zucchini, eggplant, and pumpkin are perfect.

Plant food

Throughout life, it is a necessary element of nutrition. With age, it becomes its basis. Vegetables and fruits are given in small pieces directly in the water. Grasses are fixed in small bunches (three to four stems) above the surface of the water. Various algae can be planted directly in the aquarium, protecting the roots and stems with decorative ceramics.

The list of permitted green feeds is very extensive:

• fruits (apple, pear, plum, apricot, peach, melon);
• vegetables (white and cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, zucchini, pumpkin, cucumbers, milk green peas and beans);
• herbs (lettuce, spinach, celery, dandelion, clover, sprouted oats);
• aquarium plants (spirogyra, anacharis, ceratopteris, hornwort, edogonium, common duckweed, pond algae, dried seaweed).

Nutrition

Vulture turtles feed on crustaceans and mollusks, worms, and attack snakes and smaller turtles, mammals and birds. They do not disdain plant foods.

But still, the main part of the snapping turtle’s diet is fish. If a turtle comes across a large fish, it will tear it into pieces before eating it.

The snapping turtle hunts in an interesting way using Peckham mimicry. This type of mimicry is not that rare in the animal kingdom. Its essence comes down to the fact that the hunter lures prey by imitating its favorite food. The snapping turtle uses its worm-like tongue, or more precisely, its appendage at the tip, as bait. She lies down on the bottom, most often in a thicket of algae, opens her mouth and begins to move the tip of her tongue. At the same time, the turtle lies motionless so as not to scare away the prey. When a fish or other prey, attracted by the movements of the tongue, swims close to it, the turtle instantly closes its mouth. This worm-like bait attracts not only fish, but also amphibians and invertebrates. Sometimes a snapping turtle can catch a snake or a smaller turtle.

What kind of fish is best to feed a small red-eared turtle?

As already mentioned, fish should be lean. This could be pollock, blue whiting, hake, cod, navaga, perch and carp. Give the fish finely chopped and with small bones. For large fish, remove the rib bones. Should I feed my reptiles raw or cooked fish? Here experts have not come to a consensus. Some believe that fish should only be raw, others insist that it should be boiled. In our opinion, there is no need to boil fish. It is enough to pour boiling water over it.

It is recommended to add bone meal (available at a pet store) or crushed eggshells to your red-eared food twice a week.

Caring for your turtle

The first thing you should pay attention to when purchasing a pet is its appearance and size. A turtle that is under 5 cm in size at the time of purchase will be very difficult to raise.

At this age, small individuals are susceptible to various infections and diseases. This is how natural selection takes place. Therefore, a turtle 5–7 cm in size will be the best choice when purchasing.

You should also carefully examine the color of the shell. The claws and tail must be intact. The skin looks healthy and the eyes shine. After the pet is in the aquarium, watch how it swims. A healthy turtle should swim smoothly, without leaning in different directions.

Healthy turtle

Features of treatment

After purchasing a pet and moving it into an aquarium, it may go through an adaptation period. Typically it will take 2 to 5 days. At this time, the animal becomes a little inhibited, or, conversely, very active. There is no need to panic and pick up the animal. Give him peace and time to adapt to new conditions. After a while, the turtle will get used to the new environment and become calmer.

When trying to pick up a turtle, do it very carefully and always with both hands. Not all representatives are willing to make contact. Some may flounder, hiss, and defecate in fear. The shell becomes slippery in water; keep this fact in mind when removing your pet from the aquarium.

After you hold the turtle in your hands, be sure to wash them with soap. Despite being kept clean, turtles are often carriers of salmonellosis. To avoid the spread of infection, you must always monitor the condition of the aquarium and the quality of the food.

Cleaning the shell

Since green algae in an aquarium is a source of infection, it is important to regularly clean not only the container, but also the turtle’s shell. They can't do it themselves

During the decomposition process, algae also fall under the surface of the shell, and as they decompose, they harm the shell.

You will get used to the fact that once every 3-5 days you need to take the turtle out of the water and wipe its shell with a clean cloth, a special soft napkin, or gently brush it with a toothbrush. During the process, you should try to remove all small particles of algae and other dirt.

Some unscrupulous owners try to make the turtle's shell beautiful and lubricate it with various oils or creams to add shine. This is strictly prohibited, as it harms the skin and interferes with the healthy “breathing of the body” of the pet.

How long can a turtle go without food?

Adults, if they are healthy, can go without eating for 2 weeks without harm to their body, young reptiles - up to a week. When the pet is too small, it can live 3-7 days without food.

Therefore, if the owners have to leave, then you can leave the adult turtle alone for 7-10 days without anything happening to it. However, it is advisable to introduce small fish, snails and algae into the terrarium; if the reptile gets hungry, it can eat them.

A turtle may not eat for several reasons:

• because of the cold;
• due to stress;
• during the breeding season, if the terrarium contains different-sex individuals, then they do not eat during mating games, but after they are over, the appetite will return to the reptiles;
• due to the transition of the pet to an adult diet too early, small turtles should not be given fish and boiled eggs;
• because of illness.

When you just got a reptile, it needs some time to get used to the change in environment. If the turtle refuses food for more than 3 days, but is still mobile and has no visible signs of illness, then perhaps you are not caring for it correctly.

When the pet is passive, there is nasal discharge, sneezing, swollen eyes, the turtle is blowing bubbles, then it should be shown to a specialist.

It is important not to overfeed the red-eared turtle, but you should not starve it either. The food should be thrown directly into the water, but at the same time make sure that the leftover food does not begin to rot in the terrarium. To avoid this, you can place your pet in a separate container with water during feeding, and then return it back to the terrarium.

What to feed a snapping turtle?

As a rule, owners do not have problems with feeding the snapping turtle. These creatures are practically omnivorous. In nature, they feed on any living creature that they manage to catch, and supplement their diet with vegetation. In captivity, you can feed them with live worms, crabs and crayfish, fish, or offer the turtle a special granular food.

In a word, the snapping turtle feels great on both live and synthetic food. They happily eat any living creature they can handle: mice, frogs, insects, even snakes. Often in captivity, when fed abundantly, turtles gain twice as much weight as in nature. Adult snapping turtles should be fed every other day or two.

Do turtles need mineral and vitamin supplements?

In young animals, the bone skeleton is formed and the shell is being built, so they need calcium.
Ground bone meal should be added to food daily. For a small turtle, one pinch will be enough; for older specimens, add 1 tsp. in Week. Bone meal can be purchased at a pet store. If this is not possible, the calcium requirement can be met by adding crushed eggshells.

Special vitamins for turtles are recommended to be mixed into food in the doses or quantities indicated on the package.

Vitamin feeds have a short shelf life. Therefore, you should not give them to turtles after the expiration date.

How to extend the life of a turtle

To prolong the life of a red-eared turtle, it is enough to protect it from diseases and unfavorable conditions. A properly sized terrarium, balanced food, a heating lamp, quarantine for new individuals and timely inspections at least once a month - all this does not require much time, but can serve well.

A pet whose care is given enough attention may well become a long-liver and become familiar to several generations of the same family. To do this, you should get a young individual, for the purchase of which you need to equip a spacious terrarium.

How long can a turtle not eat?

A red-eared slider may not eat at all for 10 to 90 days; this period is individual for each individual. Young turtles can starve for the least amount of time. In this case, reptiles can lose up to 40% of their mass. But you should not starve them; you should offer food regularly.

When keeping such turtles at home, it is necessary to create feeding conditions for them that are as close to natural as possible. And then the pet will be able to remain active and healthy for a long time.

What do you feed your red-eared pet? Share your experience in the comments.

Animal feed

Young sliders should consume at least 70% animal food in their daily diet. Whereas older reptiles can completely switch to a plant-based diet or maintain meat consumption at 10-25%.

The turtle can eat raw and boiled (without salt and spices) pieces of lean meat:

• bird,
• rabbit meat,
• horse meat,
• beef.

Another element of the diet is offal:

• heart,
• navels,
• liver.

Smaller mice are also suitable for feeding.

The slider will not be able to digest fatty types of meat such as lamb or pork.

The fish is suitable for low-fat river fish, from which you need to remove the giblets and bones

It is important to soak the fish in hot water for a few minutes before eating to destroy the thiaminase enzyme to prevent the development of vitamin B1 deficiency.

Aquarium fish can be used as food. For example, swordtails, guppies, goldfish.

As a change to the main diet, a raw mixture of squid, green shrimp and octopus is added. It is sometimes acceptable to give the meat of some snails - mariz, coils, pond snails.

You can diversify the menu with the help of insects. You can feed your red-eared turtle:

1. crickets,
2. bugs,
3. bloodworm,
4. grasshoppers
5. and even caterpillars.

You can add live or dried gammarus, daphnia and coretra - but this is done occasionally.

The Madagascar cockroach is also not the best food for a turtle.

Protein sources

The basis of the diet of a young turtle is low-fat fish. Raw fish contains an enzyme that selectively destroys and inactivates thiamine (vitamin B1). Therefore, before feeding the red-eared aquatic turtle, the fish is scalded or even kept in boiling water for eight to ten minutes. It is not recommended to cook fish for a long time, since long-term processing deprives it of most of its beneficial properties.

Is it possible to feed a red-eared turtle unpeeled fish? In nature, the reptile eats small fish, caught in proportion to its capabilities. Saltwater fish bought in a store have a backbone that is too powerful for a turtle's jaws to handle. Large bones are removed to prevent the pet from injuring the larynx or choking. Fish entrails may contain fragments and larvae of various parasites and should not be offered to the turtle. Only small river fish can be fed whole, remembering to scald them first.

Aquatic turtles happily eat all types of seafood: shrimp, squid, octopus, mussels, oysters, and crab meat. Shellfish should be offered with the shell.

Meat is a very nutritious food. It should be offered in small quantities and not every day. Beef, chicken, turkey, rabbit and horse meat are all types of lean meat that are suitable to feed red-eared turtles. How else can you diversify your diet? You can use the heart, liver, lung, and gizzards of birds.

Meat and offal are offered both raw and scalded.

Live foods are especially useful in the diet. In addition, hunting is an excellent activity to entertain a bored turtle, improve appetite and tone up in the autumn-winter period.

What can you feed red-eared turtles? Depending on the size of the turtle, you can use the following as live food:

• aquarium fish (livebeards, characins, barbs);
• snails (land snails, pond snails, mariza, coil, ampularia);
• insects (in the summer these can be beetles, grasshoppers, grasshoppers, hairless caterpillars, and throughout the year - mealworms, bloodworms, gammarus, daphnia, coretra);
• naked mice;
• frogs.

How does it reproduce?

Unpretentious snapping turtles are ready to mate at any opportunity. In nature, the breeding season begins in the spring, as soon as it gets warmer.

In captivity, the male and female are kept separately, and with the onset of warm weather they are transplanted into the same body of water. We need to watch them so that they do not injure each other. The female has a very strong instinct for reproduction, so watch her doubly carefully: she can even escape from a closed terrarium to lay eggs.

On average, the female lays up to 15 eggs; after 80 days, the young hatch from them. At first they are timid, but with age their natural aggressiveness takes over. You can feed them with live food - worms, small fish, or switch them to an artificial diet.

Description and appearance

The maximum length of the shell of a red-eared turtle can be 35-40 centimeters, but when kept in captivity, the dimensions are significantly reduced and are about 13-27 centimeters. The “armor” of an amphibian consists of two parts: the abdominal plastron and the dorsal shell, called the carapace. The dorsal carapace, in turn, consists of three parts: vertebral, pleural and marginal shields.

All scutes consist of keratin elements, the arrangement of which forms a small elevation in the center. The color of the shell can change significantly as the turtle ages. As a rule, the main color of the carapace is considered to be dark green with dark or light stains. In young turtles, the shell is light green and as the amphibian matures it darkens, acquiring an olive green or brown tint.

The abdominal shell is almost always light yellow in color with dark irregular streaks in the center of the plates. The turtle's limbs and head are thin and green, complemented by irregular yellow stripes. In general, the color of the amphibian is ideal for camouflage in the natural environment.

The turtle's skeletal structure is complete and its feet are partially webbed, allowing it to swim. The signature feature of the red-eared slider is the presence of red stripes on each side of the head where the ears are supposed to be located. Over time, the stripes may lose color. In some specimens, instead of stripes, small red markings appear in the area of ​​the crown.

How often and at what time should you feed your turtles?

A difficult question that cannot be answered unequivocally. Much depends on the age and size of the animal, and on the food you feed.

For young animals up to 1 year old, plant foods and artificial feed are suitable. Feeding should be daily.

From 1 year and older you can feed every 1-2 days. If the turtle prefers plant foods, it is recommended to feed it daily. The amount of food also depends on the age of the turtle.

Proper feeding is the main condition for the normal development of red-eared turtles. Every owner should feel his pet, choose the right food and give him what he likes and what is healthy.

Features of feeding small turtles

Particular attention must be paid to feeding turtles, because a deficiency of vitamins can negatively affect their development.

Young turtles are predatory animals, so they often ignore plant foods. Animal food plays a predominant role during their feeding period. They require food 1 or even 2 times every day.

Juveniles desperately need calcium and vitamin D. They should be added to their food at every feeding.

Baby turtles desperately need calcium and vitamin D intake

One of the rules for feeding baby turtles is to serve pieces of food the size of a blueberry.

Where do you get protein from?

And along with it comes calcium. This is the main reason that commercial dry food is not suitable for the turtle - it needs a large amount of building material for the shell, which hamarus (the basis of dry food) is not able to give it. Some turtle owners try to solve the problem by introducing raw meat into their pet's diet. This is not worth doing. Frequent consumption of meat (both fatty and lean) leads to the development of rickets and retinol deficiency, which can be seen in inflamed, bulging eyes. It is advisable that such complementary feeding remains an emergency measure (pork and lamb are completely excluded), while the basis of the diet of the red-eared turtle is seafood and fish.

• Shrimp and squid carcasses are the healthiest and easiest option. On top of that, it’s quite inexpensive if you take a raw, unprocessed product. You can also give them octopus rings and snail meat.
• Raw fish (if it is large and suitable for human consumption) is toxic to turtles due to the thiaminase content in it. To eliminate it, cut pieces are dipped in hot (80 degrees) water for several minutes and soaked. The most successful options are capelin, herring, and sprat. Keep in mind that bones, especially spinal bones, cannot be removed - they contain the largest amount of calcium. But it is better to cut off the costal ones if we are talking about large fish.
• Small species of fish - for example, guppies, carp - go into the turtle's diet uncut and not even scalded. The same goes for aquarium snails.
• Be sure to have raw liver in the turtle's feeder - at least 2 times a month. You can also give turtles hearts, navels, stomachs, etc.

Among live food, earthworms, bloodworms, grasshoppers, caterpillars, and carriages deserve attention. Some sources mention cockroaches, but in no case those that you can catch in an apartment - no one can guarantee that they did not bring the infection with them.