When people see my pet turtles one of the first things they ask me is “What do turtles eat?“ and I usually tell them what kind of food I feed my turtle. But this question got me thinking about what turtles eat in general. Every species is different from each other and they live in a lot of different habitats which means that their diet is very varied. So I did some research about what turtles eat and this is what I found out.
Most turtle species will eat almost any kind of organic matter, plant, or animal. A lot of turtle species are generalists and eat:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Plants
- Insects
- Fish
- Pellets
The diet of a turtle will depend on its species, in general, they will eat almost any kind of food, but they do have their preferences that can change a lot based on the habitat. In the rest of the article, I am going to cover what turtles eat in the wild, as pets, what baby turtles eat, what kind of foods they should avoid, and many other things related to the subject.
What Do Wild Turtles Eat?
This depends on the habitat they are in and their species, remember that not all turtles are the same. Since most turtle species are omnivores they will eat anything that is at their disposal.
They will usually be able to eat all of the plants that grow in the area that they live in, most turtles know how to differentiate poisonous or otherwise dangerous plants from the edible ones.
As for meat, they will eat anything they are able to find. Their main source of meat in the wild is usually insects, worms, and mollusks, but they will also eat fish if they have the chance to catch one or find a dead one. In general, they will eat any kind of meat as long as it’s safe for them. So even if a turtle has never seen a bison in its entire life but by chance will find one on the ground that recently passed away, the turtle will eat it without any problem.
What do Pet Turtles Eat?
Pet turtles will eat the same things as they would eat in the wild. It all depends on what you feed them. In general, you should give your turtle a combination of pellets, dried insects, animal meat, fruits, and vegetables.
Are Turtles Herbivores/Vegetarian?
Some turtles are vegetarian but not all of them. An example of a vegetarian turtle is the green sea turtle that lives in the ocean and its diet is entirely made out of vegetation. Even if most species are omnivores ( they will eat both plants and meat ) a lot of them don’t have too many chances to eat meat so they will eat considerably more plants.
Are Turtles Carnivorous?
Yes, there are some turtle species that will only eat meat, but they are very few compared to the total number of species. Most of the softshell turtles in the world are carnivorous and they will eat almost any kind of meat, they are also not showing any kind of preference for a particular kind of meat. But even the carnivorous turtles will sometimes on very rare occasions resort to eating plants when there is no meat available. There have been reports of alligator snapping turtles, which are carnivorous, found eating acorns. This can be because they were really hungry and they had no other source of food available, or it might be the way their species is evolving.
What do Turtles Eat in The Ocean?
In the ocean, turtles will usually eat a lot of vegetation they find in the water, like algae, fish, and a lot of jellyfishes. Jellyfishes are probably the main source of “meat” ( some species actually contain some meat, not only jelly ) because they are easy to catch compared to other animals in the ocean. They will also eat fish if they have the chance, they usually get to eat bits of fish that they find floating around from a recently dead fish. And they will also occasionally attack other living beings in the ocean that are smaller than them and who won’t be able to outrun them, for example, crabs in some regions.
What do Turtles Eat in a Pond?
Most turtles in the world can be found near ponds because there is a lot of food available for them out there. But what food is available in a pond depends on the region that it’s in. Still, most ponds will offer a great variety of land and water plants, a great selection of insects that can also greatly change with the season, most ponds also have a lot of worms near them that can also be eaten by the turtles. Most ponds will also attract birds that will occasionally be prey for the turtles. There are some turtle species, like the helmeted turtle, that will occasionally hunt together and they will be able to catch a bird and share it between them. And of course, some turtles will also try to take down a duck on their own.
So ponds offer a great variety of food for turtles, but every pond has its own ecosystem and it offers different types of food to a turtle.
Do Turtles Chew Their Food?
Not in the same way as you and I do. Turtles do not have teeth and they are unable to chew food in a conventional manner.
Most turtles will only bite off edible chunks that they can swallow in one bite and only after swallowing that piece they will bite another. And they will also use their feet to manipulate the food while eating. But there are still some species that have a more different way of doing things.
Map turtles, diamondback turtles, and musk turtles will crush and grind the mollusks as they eat them.
The Mata Mata turtles have a very unique process in which they consume their prey with the help of a very powerful suction where the excess water and debris are expelled and then the remaining animal is consumed as a whole.
Can Turtles Eat Human Food?
Yes, turtles can eat most of the food that we are able to eat. While there have been no studies that show the effects of snacks ( potato chips, Oreos, pop-tarts, Doritos, etc.) on turtles, we know for sure that it’s ok for them to eat cooked food that we eat. This is not necessarily beneficial to them in any way but it definitely won’t hurt them if they try it. But try not to experiment with weird foods with your turtle, even if giving them a piece of cooked chicken or beef won’t hurt them, heavily processed meat might have a bad effect on them.
What do Big Turtles Eat?
Big turtles eat the same things as small and medium-sized turtles. Their diet can differ a little because they are bigger and in some habitats, this can help them catch animals that are a little bigger. Another difference is that they can take bigger bites so this will allow them to eat smaller animals and insects in one bite, while medium-sized and smaller-sized turtles will have to take more bites to finish their meal. But the diet of big turtles is composed of the same things as small turtles.
What do Small Turtles Eat?
Turtles that are smaller in size, not because they are baby turtles but because they are smaller due to their species, will eat the same thing as the bigger sized and medium-sized turtles. Again the only difference is that in some cases they might not be able to catch some bigger insects and animals. But besides that, they will eat the same things.
What do Baby Turtles Eat?
Baby turtles usually eat the same thing as adult turtles, there are a few exceptions to this but they will usually eat the same thing. This means that if a turtle species is carnivorous, they will be carnivorous when they are babies and when they are adults. The same thing applies to herbivorous/vegetarian turtles and omnivorous turtles.
Because of their young age and small size, they will not be able to catch as many small animals and insects, but when they do catch them they will eat them.
When you own a baby turtle you should probably be a little more careful with the food that you are feeding it. Your food should be rich in the nutrients that your baby turtle needs in that stage of its life. If you want to know more about this subject you can read my article in which I cover this subject more in-depth, you can find the article right here.
As I mentioned there are some turtle species that will not always eat the same things when they are babies as they will when they will be adults. Slider turtles are an example of how food preferences can change as they grow older and are presented with different feeding opportunities. A study showed that young slider turtles were carnivorous or insectivorous while the adults in the same lake were herbivorous, this is mostly because slider turtles prefer animal meat and insects over vegetation but because they were unable to find any insects, fish, or meat they resorted to eating vegetation. Adult slider turtles are able to survive for long periods of time with just vegetation but baby slider turtles are unable to do so. This is why baby slider turtles are carnivores or insectivores when they are babies and they will become omnivorous when they are older.
What do Turtles Like to Eat?
The preferences in food of a turtle greatly differ from species to species and the habitat that they live in. Most omnivorous species usually prefer meat over vegetation, most of them are actually omnivorous because they can’t obtain enough meat so they resort to eating vegetation to survive.
When turtles are in the wild and they have to choose between one type of meat and another they will go after the one that is most easily obtainable. Other than that preferences in food depends on each turtle, just like us each turtle has its own likes and dislikes when it comes to food.
I also did my experiment with one of my turtles. I presented him with 7 different types of food simultaneously, the foods were pellets, insects, different types of meats, fruit, and vegetables. The food portions were relatively small so that I didn’t overfeed him, and they were also placed at an equal distance from him. I did this experiment for 10 consecutive days. And the results were exactly what I expected. My turtle showed no preference between the meat and insects, the pellets seemed to be the most popular second choice and at the end were the fruits and vegetables in no particular order.
If you have the time you should also do this experiment, it can be really fun to see how your turtle reacts and you will also learn more about your turtle. If you want to do this experiment please share the results in the comment section.
How Long Can Turtles Survive Without Food?
A well-developed and fed adult turtle can survive without food for 3 to 6 months. A baby turtle can only survive for 1 to 2 months.
When a baby turtle is not fed, or it’s unable to find a food source in the wild, it will actually start losing weight and shrink in size. This can also happen to omnivorous and carnivorous baby turtles if they are unable to mind any meat source and they have to rely on vegetation to survive.
How Often Should a Pet Turtle Eat?
A turtle should eat or be fed at least once a day. A turtle can also eat multiple times a day if they only eat small portions. But no matter how much food you feed your turtle you should always feed it at least once a day.
Be careful not to overfeed your turtle, this can lead to many health problems including pyramiding which can be a very serious and irremediable health problem.
What to Look For in a Good Turtle Food?
When you are buying turtle food (pellets )you should usually make sure that it offers a good amount of protein. The pellets will be a substitute for the meat.
When it comes to dried insects there is nothing, in particular, to look for. The only thing you should be careful about is to make sure that they don’t have too many chemicals added to them.
As for fruits and vegetables, you should look for the same things that you look for when you are buying them for yourself, make sure that they are fresh and wash them very well before giving them to your turtle, turtles are not accustomed to the chemicals that are found on the fruits and vegetables that we find in supermarkets.
When it comes to what I feed my turtles I usually like to mix things up once in a while when it comes to pellets so I usually give them Zoo Med Natural Aquatic Turtle Food and Mazuri Aquatic Turtle Diet. Both of them have really good nutrition values for turtles and my turtles like them both. And the fact that both of them come from trusted brands is a plus.
When my turtles start shedding I usually start feeding them Hikari Wheat-Germ Pellets Pond Fish Food. Even if this food is aimed toward fish it is actually really great for shedding turtles because it contains a lot more nutrients that help them during the shedding process, than normal turtle food.
And here is a link to the dried crickets that I use to feed my turtles. The only downside that I have found with these crickets is the fact that the water will get dirty really fast. But this is a general downside to dried insects, not only those dried crickets.
If you just got your first pet turtle you should try to mix things up in the beginning and see which food your turtle prefers.
What Foods Are Bad For Turtles?
I said that turtles can eat almost any kind of meat and vegetation but there are some exceptions to this. The following foods that I am going to list are bad for your turtle and you should try to avoid keeping them in places that your turtle can reach because even if they are bad for them they will still eat them since they don’t know that those foods are bad for them.
Spinach. Spinach inhibits calcium absorption which is very important for turtles, especially when they are young.
Foods with a high amount of oxalic acid. Oxalic acid is a very toxic acid in high concentration. It can be found in a lot of foods that we eat daily, but these doses are really small. A dangerous amount for humans starts from 15 grams, but for turtles, the amount is a lot smaller. Here is a list of common plants and vegetables that contain a high amount of oxalic acid that should be avoided ( the amount of oxalic acid is per 100g of the respective plant or vegetable ) :
- Chives – 1.48 g
- Parsley – 1.70 g
- Spinach – 1.30 g
- String Beans – 1. 35 g
- Blackberries – 1.45 g
- Avocado – 1.60 g
- Amaranth – 1.09 g
- Cassava – 1.26 g
- Purslane – 1.31 g
Nuts. Nuts also contain high doses of oxalic acid, the amount will differ from nut to nut but all of them contain doses that are too high. Nuts also contain too much protein per gram. Turtles need protein but too much of it can also be bad.
Raw chicken. As we all know raw chicken can carry Salmonella, a disease organism in humans. While there is debate over how prevalent Salmonella is in turtles, to begin with, loading them with a fresh supply seems injudicious.
Goldfishes. There are multiple reasons why gold fishes are not good for turtles, one of them is the fact that they contain too much fat which can be bad for turtles, and they also contain thiaminase, which is known to cause neurological problems.
What Do Snapping Turtles Eat?
Snapping turtles are omnivores and they will eat a lot of things, here is a list of the things they will eat:
- Animal meat
- Fish
- Snails
- Frogs
- Newts
- Insects
- Worms
- Snakes
- Bugs
- Vegetation
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Water plants
- Pellets
- And a lot more
What Do Painted Turtles Eat?
Painted turtles are omnivores so they will eat a lot of things, here is a list of the things they will eat:
- Fish
- Animal meat
- Worms
- Snakes
- Bugs
- Vegetation
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Snails
- Frogs
- Newts
- Insects
- Water plants
- Pellets
- And a lot more
What Do Red-Eared Sliders Eat?
Red-eared sliders are omnivores so they will eat a lot of things, here is a list of the things they will eat:
- Animal meat
- Fish
- Worms
- Snakes
- Bugs
- Vegetation
- Fruits
- Snails
- Frogs
- Newts
- Insects
- Vegetables
- Pellets
- And a lot more
Related Questions
Can turtles eat dog food? Yes, turtles can eat some types of dog food. Turtles are able to eat almost anything and that includes dog food. Dog food is usually made out of meat so if your turtle is omnivorous or carnivorous then it should be able to eat it. The only exception to this is the food that they are not able to take a bite out of, even if they have strong bites they are not able to compete with the size of a dog’s mouth.
Can turtles eat cat food? Yes, cat food is also made out of a lot of meat so turtles will be able to eat it without too much problem. Again the only exception to this is if your turtle is unable to eat it. Does this mean that you can give your turtle cat food instead of its normal food? No, but there should be no problem if your turtle eats some of your cat’s food.
Do turtles eat bread? Turtles will eat bread but it’s not actually good for them. Turtles lack the enzymes needed to break down foods like bread. If your turtle eats bread there is no problem, but try to avoid this in the future, bread has no benefits for your turtle. In the wild, if you give a turtle bread then the turtle will gladly eat it, but this is because the bread is an easy food opportunity not because it’s good for them.
Do turtles eat carrots? Yes, turtles can eat and will also benefit from carrots just like they will benefit from any type of vegetable they will eat.
Can turtles eat lettuce? Turtles can eat lettuce and they should occasionally do so, turtles are able to enjoy the full benefits of the nutrients of the lettuce thus making lettuce a great food for turtles.
Can turtles eat bananas? Yes, turtles can eat bananas. Bananas are fruit and turtles can in general eat fruits, so you can feed a turtle a banana occasionally, but you shouldn’t make it one of its main food sources.
Can turtles eat grapes ? Grapes can be a great source of vitamins for your turtles, so giving your turtle, or any turtle, some grapes occasionally can only benefit the health of the turtle.
Can turtles eat grass? Yes, turtles can eat grass. Actually, a lot of turtle species eat grass in the wild, there are some reasons why they do this. One of them is that grass, like most plants, contains vitamins that benefit the turtle’s health, but probably the most important reason why a lot of turtles eat grass is the fact that grass can be found everywhere and it keeps them from starving when they are unable to find other food sources.
Can turtles eat tomatoes ? Turtles can eat tomatoes just like they can eat any vegetable. Most wild turtles will never come into contact with a tomato, but they will most probably eat it. As for your pet turtle, you should give it some tomatoes occasionally, they can only improve the health of your turtle.
Can turtles eat fish food? Yes, turtles can eat fish food. Actually, in some cases, fish food contains more nutrients good for your turtle than turtle food does. A lot of fish food is made out of only vegetation, so if your turtle is omnivorous or herbivorous it can eat the fish food without any worry.
Can turtles eat ants? Turtles can eat ants, and they will eat ants pretty often in the wild. If you were thinking of feeding your turtle ants then you should do this with caution, if there are too many ants, or they are from a dangerous species, things can become dangerous for your turtle. Overall you should not feed ants to your turtle, it’s not worth the trouble, but turtles are able to eat them even if they don’t provide too many nutrients for them.
Conclusion
I hope that now you know everything that you wanted to know when you asked yourself this question. If you think that I forgot to mention something let me know, or if you have any questions about what turtles eat, leave them in the comment section and I will answer it as soon as possible.
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