So you want to know if you should feed your turtle strawberries?
Well, turtles actually LOVE strawberries.
They enjoy most kinds of berries, like raspberries and blueberries.
Likewise, they eat tropical fruits such as banana, papaya, and guava.
They also enjoy munching on melons, like cantaloupe, watermelon, and honeydew.
That’s right. The variety of turtles’ appetite is quite large. Thus, there are a lot of options for occasional treats.
Just don’t ever make like the cartoons and feed them pizza.
Processed foods are unhealthy for turtles.
Sit back, relax, and let us walk you through this guide.
What Type Of Turtle Do You Own?
Before you start slicing and dicing tasty treats, you must find out the type of turtle you have.
There are actually so many turtle species presently, and because of this, it is important to specifically recognize your kind.
You should check with a vet to know your type of turtle. This will help you figure out the most suitable foods for your pet.
How Often Should You Feed Your Turtle?
Whether it is just a small treat or their main meal, it is important to how often you should serve your turtle.
Ideally, most adult turtles should be fed two or three times a week.
But it’s okay to offer them food every other day, as turtles are not known to overeat.
For baby turtles, however, you must feed them every day.
To recap: turtles love most kinds of fruits.
It would then be a shame if we do not point out that our little shelled friends also enjoy a wide variety of vegetation-both on land and underwater!
What Are The Vegetables For Turtles?
The majority of turtle species enjoy a niche chunk of leafy greens.
This includes lettuce, mustard, collard, romaine, dandelion, parsley, and watercress.
Aquatic and box turtles alike can also be fed cooked corn, chunks of squash, grated carrot, among others.
What Sort Of Aquatic Plants Do Turtles Eat?
Naturally, turtles like to eat floating plants.
This includes duckweed, frog-bit, Azolla, lettuce, and water hyacinth.
However, they occasionally go for submerged plants, like anacharis water weeds.
You can add several aquatic plants to your turtle’s tank. This will help you figure out your pet’s preferences.
Once you know what your turtle enjoys, you can plant more in the tank and leave the plants to grow.
This effectively serves as a continuous source of food for your turtle.
You might be thinking back to those dreaded biology classes and remembering the professor mention that most turtles are omnivorous. That is, in fact, correct.
Do Turtles Eat Live Animals?
Other than fruits and vegetables, turtles also love feasting on live animals.
They enjoy snails, insects, fish, and even larvae.
For turtles that live in ponds, these treats come along naturally, and aquatic turtles are most likely to give them a try.
Perhaps you wish to add a few new species for them to try out? There are a number of great options.
You can try beetles, earthworms, crickets, goldfish, rosy red minnow or guppies, small fish, or even small frogs. You can purchase these feeds at any aquarium shop.
But of course, not all turtle species would appreciate these options, not in the way an aquatic turtle would.
For turtles that live in tanks, you should remove any uneaten live animals. You can only leave in small fish.
Just as humans try to practice proper eating etiquette, you should also put the same effort when feeding your pet. Make sure you feed your turtle the right way, at the right time.
What Is The Best Way To Feed Turtles?
Aquatic turtles usually eat food when inside the water.
This is due to the fact that they need to be submerged in water to swallow any food.
For food that is served in the dry area, the turtle will most likely drag it into the water before eating it.
You are advised to remove any food that isn’t eaten after a few minutes, so you must remain there as your pet feeds.
If it is live aquatic animals, you may leave them in the water.
For any live insects that are not eaten within a few minutes, they should be packed and stored for later.
Should You Feed Your Turtle In Separate Container?
Turtles can be fed every 2 to 4 days, and they make a mess of their tanks when they feed.
If you must feed it in the same tank, make sure you have a functional filtration system.
If not, you will have to change the water in the tank more often than you should.
To avoid this, you should get a different container to feed your turtle.
Place your pet in a half-filled tub of warm water for about 30 minutes.
Then add the strawberries, or any other fruit or vegetable, in the tub.
Also, the warm water helps your turtle to defecate.
After it has fed and dedicated, you can then put it back in it’s a clean tank. Now go out and get that fodder tank!
Do You Have A Shy Turtle?
Sounds funny, yes? Actually, turtles do get shy. If they don’t eat while you watch, they are shy. It’s because you just got them, and they’re trying to adjust.
In the meantime, however, the little guy must eat.
You need to leave the room for it. Eventually, it’ll get used to it, and you can watch it feed all you want.
Now drop that turtle meal, and leaves the room.
Frequently Asked Questions about Your Pet Turtle
Now that you have established that it is okay for your turtle to eat strawberries (only in moderation), you may be thinking of other questions you want to be answered.
*What Kind of Foods Do Turtles Eat?
As you may know, there are many kinds of turtles you can have for a pet. That means the food that you need to feed to your turtle depends if it is either an omnivore or an herbivore.
If it is an omnivore, the best foods to feed it are fruits, vegetables, feeder fish, insects, and commercial turtle food pellets.
If it is an herbivore, it can only eat fruits and vegetables.
In the US, red-eared sliders are the most common pet turtles. These types are aquatic turtles and are omnivorous, so they feed on plants and animals.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fresh produce is the best part of your turtle’s diet.
The best ones are dark green leafy vegetables like mustard greens, collard, and kale. Shredded zucchini, carrots, and squash are alright too. Duckweed, water lettuce, and water hyacinth, or any edible aquatic vegetation, are great also.
For fruits, the best ones are melons, apples, and chopped berries.
It should be 20% of your turtle’s overall dietary needs.
If your pet is a tortoise or a land turtle, it is an herbivore, which means it strictly eats fruits and vegetables only.
It should be 80% of its overall diet.
Store-Bought Pelleted Turtle Food
It is the best food specially made for your turtle. It has the right mix of vitamins, minerals, calcium, etc. All the nutrients it needs. This food will float and will not fall apart like other pelleted food for other reptiles.
It should be 25% of its overall diet.
Insects and Feeder Fish
Common feeders like the comet goldfish provide a great source of protein for your turtle.
It should be 25% of its diet.
Where Can I Buy All of These?
Pelleted turtle food is available in all large pet stores as well as online stores.
Crickets and feeder fish are also available in pet stores.
You can buy fresh vegetables and fruits in your local market and grocery store.
What are the Essential Nutrients for My Pet Turtle’s Health?
Your turtle needs food that has protein, vitamins, and minerals. It requires calcium most of all because of its shell, which is made of bone.
Supplement your turtle’s diet with calcium and mineral powders.
Does My Turtle Eat Fish?
Turtles that live in the wild eat many things like worms, snails, small insects, and fish.
They are carnivorous when they are younger because they need protein to grow.
They also require vitamins and minerals that can be found in the livers of feeder fish.
When they grow older, they become omnivorous and eat plants.
It is nutritionally beneficial to your turtle to feed it a small fish snack now and then.
Small fish like minnows and goldfish will be a tasty treat for your turtle.
How Often Should I Feed My Turtle?
For a juvenile turtle, feed it every day.
For adult turtles, from 7 years old and onward, feed it every other day, or 4 to 5 times a week.
The Final Word
Turtles can eat strawberries. They love them.
But what really matters is that you maintain a healthy diet for them. Add that with a healthy environment, and you have a healthy and happy turtle. With all that in mind, start taking better care of your turtle!
