Food for tortoise baby

Most species of tortoises eat plant foods. Therefore, if such a turtle is kept at home, then you need to be very careful about its diet. People who faced a debilitating problem began to keep special food journals for their pets:

• daily;
• weekly;
• monthly.

As a rule, the menu is prepared in advance, with planning for each day. This takes into account all the necessary vitamin supplements, in the form of calcium and various amino acids. If you purchased a turtle, and you don’t know how to feed it, then for a start you should at least make a preliminary planning of its diet. In the process of feeding, it will become clear how to adjust her nutrition. In order not to risk it, it is better to seek information from a specialist or “dig” on the Internet, where there is a lot of useful information. nine0003

It is very important that nutrition is optimal and balanced. The turtle should not be overfed, but should not be allowed to starve. Her diet should include foods rich in essential vitamins and minerals in order to ensure normal development and growth for the pet.

If the turtle eats a lot of different foods, this can negatively affect the health and longevity of the pet. As a result of overeating, the turtle can develop diseases of the liver and gastrointestinal tract. nine0003

With insufficient food, the turtle will not receive the required amount of nutrients, which can lead to developmental defects.

Although tortoises eat mostly plant foods, care should be taken to ensure that the tortoise also consumes animal foods. It can be no more than 5% of the total diet, but this is quite enough for its normal development.

Those who do not know how to feed this animal can purchase special artificial supplements with vitamins, proteins and other trace elements. How many such additives are required to the main diet is indicated on the package. nine0003

A complete list of allowed plants and vegetables can be found here.

Contents

• 1 Turtle diet
• 2 Should turtles be fed
• 3 What do turtles eat in their natural habitat?
• 4 What should not be fed to tortoises?
• 5 Turtle diet in winter and summer
• 6 In addition

Turtle diet

• Greens - 75%;
nine0005 Fruits, berries and vegetables - 15%;
• Complex dishes in the form of various cereals - 5%;
• Vitamin supplements - 5%.

In formulating her diet, one must take into account the fact that certain substances, such as vitamin D ₃ , can adversely affect her health. You should carefully study the list of substances prohibited for land turtles.

It should be remembered that in animals that enter captivity, there is a shift in her behavior. With a lack of nutrients, she will begin to eat everything, including the earth in the terrarium. To prevent this from happening, you should take great responsibility in organizing the nutrition of your pet. With proper and balanced nutrition, the turtle will delight others for many years. nine0003

Therefore, before you start feeding an animal, you should draw up an approximate diet:

1. As mentioned above, the basis of the diet is greens, in the form of lettuce and dandelion leaves, plantain and alfalfa, thistle and sorrel, lawn grass, as well as leaves and stems of legumes (peas or beans). In addition to this greenery, turtles are happy to eat inflorescences of various plants. The main component must always be in the feeder, and the reptile will decide how much to eat. nine0006
2. Vegetables are in second place. Turtles love to feast on pumpkin, fresh carrots, ripe zucchini, young beets and radishes. Once a month, the turtle can be given a cucumber or horseradish.
3. Apples and pears must be included in the list of berries and fruits . From time to time, apricots, plums, raspberries, strawberries, and watermelon can be included in the diet, but in small quantities.

Is it necessary to water the turtle

As a rule, tortoises get the main dose of moisture from vegetables, fruits and greens. Most experts say that it is enough to provide the turtle with a bath of water once a week and it will not suffer from a lack of moisture. The fact is that turtles are able to replenish the lack of water through the skin. If a turtle swims in a bowl of water for 10 minutes, then this is quite enough for her. nine0003

There are cases when, after acquiring a turtle, this small animal still suffers from a lack of moisture. In such cases, for some time you should provide the turtle with daily baths with water. Water should be poured up to half of the body so that the head peeks out of the water. To this end, at first, you can install a drinker with clean water so that the turtle can drink at any time.

What do turtles eat in their natural habitat?

The diet of tortoises consists of plant foods. Being in natural conditions, the turtle consumes all the necessary nutrients that ensure its normal development. At the same time, the turtle always feels which microelements it lacks at one stage or another of its life path, and it does an excellent job of this task, finding the food that it needs. nine0003

A turtle can be in a state of searching for scarce food for a long time without harming its health. You can learn a lot of interesting things about these amazing animals by reading the relevant information on the Internet.

What should not be fed to tortoises?

Unfortunately, the list of prohibited products is very extensive and should be read. This list includes cockroaches, crickets, eggshells, potatoes, garlic or onions, various meat products (including sausage and minced meat), bread, milk, various cereals (except for rolled oats), citrus peels, cherries, seeds from any berries . These foods can cause liver disease, which will significantly reduce its life expectancy. Therefore, when starting to draw up her diet, one should take into account the harmful effects of the above products on the turtle's liver and not include them in the diet.

A complete list of prohibited products can be found here.

Turtle nutrition in winter and summer

Despite the fact that the animal is in captivity, it can feel the approach of cold weather, which contributes to a change in taste preferences. In the summer, the turtle eats more juicy foods, then with the advent of a colder season, it prefers soaked hay and less juicy vegetables. In any case, you need to monitor the behavior of the turtle, as well as the fact that it consumes more from food. nine0003

In addition to

Being in captivity, the turtle tries to follow its natural instincts and may hibernate. Naturally, this can be facilitated by certain conditions of detention associated with a decrease in ambient temperature within the zone of keeping the animal. It can be not only winter, but also summer hibernation. In nature, turtles hibernate for two main reasons - this is a cold snap or lack of the required amount of food. To prevent this from happening, you should maintain the temperature at an appropriate level, as well as provide the pet with a variety of foods. It should always be remembered that even a turtle must sleep under certain conditions, which is extremely difficult to provide for her at home. nine0003

In order not to risk the health of a small pet, you need to provide it with the appropriate mode, which is on the border of the maximum level. Under such conditions, the turtle is unlikely to think about its hibernation, especially if it has all the necessary products.

It is very important that the heating is similar to the warmth that the turtle felt when it was under the rays of the sun. After all, in the sun, the turtle not only warms itself, but also receives a dose of UV radiation, which helps to better absorb calcium in the body . Without calcium, the turtle will not be able to fully develop and this should always be remembered. Therefore, the presence of a UV lamp is mandatory, as is its inclusion for several hours throughout the day.

From this we can conclude that the future of a small pet depends entirely on who cares for him. You should not think that the animal will grow up on its own, without proper care. Unfortunately, this is not so, considering what dangers lie in wait for a small turtle, if you do not pay due attention to its content. nine0003

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What do turtles eat? But this does not mean at all that everything that has grown on the earth can become their food. How to feed turtles at home? What products will prolong their life, and what can be dangerous?

Ksenia Ilchenko

Unsplash

The diet for a pet reptile should be tailored to its species and age. The wrong ratio of feed leads to digestive and metabolic disorders. nine0003

Contents of the article

Types of tortoises

At home, tortoises live in special sandy terrariums. Keeping animals, although it excludes walking, sterilization and other chores that dog and cat owners are doomed to, still cannot be called simple. Nevertheless, this type of reptile has many fans.

Among the land species that can be found at home:

1. The Central Asian steppe tortoise is the Red Book and the most studied species to date. The length of the shell reaches 20 centimeters, and life expectancy with proper care is 30 years. nine0006
2. The Mediterranean (Caucasian, Greek) tortoise is a reptile with a variegated shell and a maximum shell size of 35 centimeters. It is better to buy an adult immediately, the cubs do not tolerate relocation.
3. The Egyptian tortoise is one of the smallest land tortoises. The size of males does not exceed 10-12 cm, females can be larger.
4. Balkan tortoise - with a yellow-brown shell and a long tail with a spike at the end.
5. The star turtle is one of the rarest and most expensive to keep at home. nine0006

What foods do tortoises eat?

Under natural conditions, tortoises feed on grass, young leaves of shrubs, berries and fruits. Reptiles obtain the protein necessary for growth and development by hunting worms, slugs, snails and other small, inactive insects. The task of the owner of this type of turtle is to provide the pet with food that is as close as possible in composition to what they receive in the wild.

Greens - lettuce, dandelions, clover, other grass - can become the basis of the diet of a domestic tortoise. You can diversify your diet by introducing fruits, vegetables and berries - up to 30% of the total amount of food. It is recommended to feed turtles once a day, adults can eat every other day, and turtles over 5 years old - once every three days. nine0003

The most suitable foods for turtles

• Fruits and berries (given about once a month): strawberries, peaches, grapes, figs, dates, pears, apples, mangoes, raspberries and apricots. Melons, peaches, kiwis and unpeeled bananas can be given in limited quantities due to their high sugar content.
• Garden and field plants: clover, mulberry leaves, dandelions, carnations, geranium, hibiscus, rose, nasturtium, plantain, alfalfa, nettle, goutweed, lamb, knapweed, bluebell, forget-me-not, thistle, aster, basil, begonia, bromeliad , verbena, gerbera, oregano, calendula, jasmine, coleus, snapdragon, mint (not pepper), pilea, thyme, violet, chlorophytum, sage, pike tail, echinacea. nine0006
• Vegetables (provided once every 2-4 weeks): sweet potatoes, artichoke, bell peppers, tomatoes (rarely), leafy greens (kale, watercress, broccoli, etc.), grated carrots, zucchini, grated pumpkin, cucumbers, leeks
• Legumes: peas and green beans in moderation.

Foods to avoid

For your turtle to live long, you need to pay attention to its nutrition. There are foods that a reptile will certainly want to try, but their inclusion in the diet is highly undesirable due to the possible consequences for digestion and metabolism. This is:

• Celery - too much fiber, not enough nutrients.
• Bread and bread products - for the same reasons. They contain a lot of starch, and the nutritional value is minimal.
• Spinach and chard - these plants contain oxalates and goitrogens that can interfere with the reptile's absorption of calcium.
• Flowers from shops - withered plants will be given to you almost for free, but you should not regale your pet turtle with them because of the risk of pesticide and herbicide poisoning.

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