Turtles are known for eating everything that you put in front of them. This is generally a good thing since they won’t refuse the food you give them. But this can also be dangerous because they might eat some fruits or vegetables that are not so good for them. But is spinach one of them?
Can turtles eat spinach? While turtles can eat spinach, it’s not recommended because it contains high amounts of oxalic acid and inhibits the absorption of calcium. So turtles shouldn’t eat spinach.
So spinach is not the best thing to feed your turtle. But spinach is not the only vegetable that you should avoid.
Vegetables That You Should Avoid Besides Spinach
Almost all vegetables contain calcium and phosphorus. And as a result, most of them have a calcium to phosphorus ratio. So let’s take a look at what calcium does for musk turtles, what phosphorus does for them, and what is good calcium to phosphorus ratio.
Calcium is essential for every animal in this world that has bones. And since the shell of a turtle is made out of bones, calcium is even more important for turtles than for any other animal. Vegetables are one of the main sources of calcium that a musk turtle has, so making sure that you feed them vegetables with high amounts of calcium is important.
For humans phosphorus is a very important mineral that helps filter waste, repair tissue and cells, etc. But for turtles phosphorus is not that great. Phosphorus is what gives turtle shells a little flexibility, which is great because this little extra flexibility makes them more resistant to bites and other types of impact. But too much phosphorus can also make the shell a lot softer, and as a result much weaker when it comes to defending the turtle from predators.
In short, we can say that calcium is great for turtles and phosphorus is not so great for turtles in high quantities.
Most vegetables have a calcium to phosphorus ratio, this ratio can be 1:1, 2:1, 5:1, 1:2, etc.
A 1:1 ratio means that the amount of calcium is equal, or almost equal to the amount of phosphorus. So a vegetable with this ratio is not that great for turtles, but it’s not harmful either. But if possible such a vegetable should be avoided.
A 1:2 calcium to phosphorus ratio is really bad, there are not many vegetables with this ratio, so don’t worry too much about them. Just remember that if a vegetable has more potassium than calcium you should keep it away from your turtle.
A 2:1 ratio is great, and this is what you should be aiming for, if the ratio goes higher it’s ok, but ideally this is the ratio that you are looking for.
Table With the Most Common Vegetables and Their Calcium to Phosphorus Ratio
Here is a list of some of the most common vegetables and their Calcium to Phosphorus ratio:
| Collards | 14.5:1 |
| Spinach, Mustard | 7.5:1 |
| Turnip Greens | 4.5:1 |
| Lambsquarters | 4.3:1 |
| Dill Weed | 3.2:1 |
| Beet Greens | 3.0:1 |
| Dandelion Greens | 2.8:1 |
| Chinese Cabbage (pak-choi) | 2.8:1 |
| Lettuce, Loose leaf | 2.7:1 |
| Mustard Greens | 2.4:1 |
| Parsley | 2.4:1 |
| Kale | 2.4:1 |
| Chicory Greens | 2.1:1 |
| Spinach | 2.0:1 |
| Watercress | 2.0:1 |
| Cabbage | 2.0:1 |
| Endive (Escarole) | 1.9:1 |
| Celery | 1.6:1 |
| Purslane | 1.5:1 |
| Cilantro | 1.4:1 |
| Lettuce, Butterhead (Boston, Bibb) | 1.4:1 |
| Okra | 1.3:1 |
| Swiss Chard | 1.1:1 |
| Turnip | 1.1:1 |
| Squash (Winter, all varieties) | 1.0:1 |
| Green Beans | 1.0:1 |
| Lettuce, Romaine | 0.8:1 |
| Sweet Potato | 0.8:1 |
| Rutabaga | 0.8:1 |
| Broccoli | 0.7:1 |
| Cucumber (with skin) | 0.7:1 |
| Endive, Belgian (Witloof Chicory) | 0.7:1 |
| Carrots | 0.6:1 |
| Squash (Summer, all varieties) | 0.6:1 |
| Brussels Sprouts | 0.6:1 |
| Cauliflower | 0.5:1 |
| Kohlrabi | 0.5:1 |
| Pumpkin | 0.5:1 |
| Alfalfa Sprouts | 0.5:1 |
| Parsnips | 0.5:1 |
| Peppers, Green | 0.5:1 |
| Peppers, Red | 0.5:1 |
| Sweet Potato Leaves | 0.4:1 |
| Beets | 0.4:1 |
| Asparagus | 0.4:1 |
| Tomato | 0.2:1 |
| Corn, White | 0.02:1 |
With the help of this table, you should be able to get a general idea of what vegetables you should feed your musk turtle. I personally like to feed my musk turtle Greenleaf and Redleaf salad, they are not too expensive and he seems to like it. And when I’m cooking something with vegetables I usually cut a couple of smaller pieces and feed them to my turtle, just to mix things up a little.
Conclusion
So spinach is not the best option for your turtle. But spinach is just one of the hundreds of vegetables, so you shouldn’t exclude them from your turtles’ diet.
I hope this article answered all of your questions, but in case you still have questions left, you can always leave them in the comment section and I will answer them as soon as possible.
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