What do you feed painted turtles?

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Painted turtles require a diverse diet in the wild. Mimicking this diet for your captive turtle is not only vital to its health, it is easy. Your turtle's diet should consist of 65 to 85 percent protein and 15 to 35 percent vegetation.

Types of Proteins

Your turtle needs a variety of proteins in its diet such as earthworms, mealworms, crickets, live feeder fish, cooked chicken and commercial turtle pellets.

Types of Vegetation

Painted turtles can eat dark, leafy greens combined with finely-chopped carrots and squash. You can also buy your turtle pre-made fruit and vegetable snacks from your local pet-supply store.

Frequency

Juvenile painted turtles should eat every day, while the adults should eat every other day. You should only give your turtle an amount of food that it will eat within 45 minutes. Remove all uneaten proteins and greens after the 45 minute time limit.

Supplements

Turtles require calcium for strong bones and a strong, healthy shell; therefore, you should give your turtle a supplement that contains both calcium and vitamins. Pet supply stores will have a variety to choose from, and employees will be able to help you find a species-specific supplement.

Fun Facts

In the wild, young painted turtles primarily eat small fish, insects and crustaceans. They don't start adding vegetation to their diets until later in life. Painted turtles are also voracious eaters and will make a mess of their food. They usually relieve themselves soon after eating. To maintain a cleaner tank, you may want to make a separate area in the tank for eating and a separate are for fecal eliminations.

Source:

University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web

Petco Care-sheet

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What do you feed painted turtles?

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