Turtles are known for eating almost anything that can be eaten. In the wild, they eat bugs, larvas, insects. But what about roaches?
Can a Red Eared Slider eat roaches? Red Eared Sliders can eat roaches, but how good they are for them is debatable.
Since Red Eared Sliders can eat almost anything, the fact that they can eat roaches comes as no surprise. But the fact that roaches live in some unsanitary places doesn’t make the healthiest snack. So let’s discuss a little about this, and then discuss some insects that they can eat that come with the same benefits as turtles, but none of the disadvantages.
Health Concerns
Roaches tend to live in small dark places like sinks and stoves, behind refrigerators, as well as under floor drains and inside of motors and major appliances. All of those places tend to be dirty and full of harmful bacteria. And some of those bacterias stick to the roaches.
Red Eared Sliders eat a lot of bugs when they live in the wild, and some of those bugs are also full of bacteria. So their stomachs are able to deal with some bacteria. But the ones found in the wild and the ones found behind the refrigerator tend to be quite different.
I’ve seen a lot of turtle owners saying that their turtles have eaten some roaches, and they didn’t feel bad after. But overall I would say that there is no reason to risk it. Especially since there are better and safer alternatives.
Replacement for Roaches
The best alternative to roaches is dried crickets. Dried crickets are great for red-eared sliders because they contain a lot of protein and very little fat.
I haven’t tried any other types of insects besides crickets for my turtle, but from what I’ve seen he seems to enjoy them. Here is a link to the dried crickets that I use to feed my turtle, in case you want to try it.
Before we end the article let’s take a quick look at how a balanced diet should look like.
How a Good Diet Should Look
In the wild turtles have access to a variety of foods from which they can choose: fruits, vegetables, various plants, fish, insects, animal meat, etc. But as pets they don’t have access to the same variety, instead, they are reliant on the food that we choose for them. So it’s up to us to make the best choices for them.
So when it comes to food you generally have to maintain a balanced diet that will replicate what they would have been able to eat in nature, so you should feed them: dried insects, pellets, fruits, and vegetables.
In general, pellets are the main food source, and the rest of the items on the list are only served occasionally.
So the most important part is to make sure that you choose some good pellets. If you want help on this part you can read this article that I’ve written in collaboration with the rest of the TurtleOwner team, in this article we cover most brands on the market: Buyer’s Guide: Best Turtle Food.
If you want to know more about what Red Eared Sliders eat, you can check out this article that discusses the subject more in-depth: What Do Red Eared Sliders Eat?
Conclusion
So Red Eared Sliders can eat roaches, but it’s not known if it’s entirely safe for them. My personal suggestion is not to bother with roaches, since dried crickets are a much better alternative.
I hope this article answered all of your questions regarding Red Eared Sliders and roaches. But in case you still have some questions, you can leave them in the comment section and I will answer them as soon as possible.
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