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Turtles are considered one of the most beloved and widespread domestic reptiles on earth. There are 356 species of turtles, turtles and turtles in the order Testudines, all of which have a bony outer shell. Although most turtles live in or near water, different species have adapted to different conditions. From freshwater streams to the depths of the oceans, you can find turtles just about anywhere. They live on all continents except Antarctica and in every ocean except the Arctic and Southern (Antarctic) oceans. Some migrate long distances, while others remain relatively close to their place of birth for life. While some turtles make great pets, others are better off roaming the wild in search of food. However, with such a wide distribution, the question arises, what do turtles eat?
In this article, we will learn what turtles love to eat, as well as how they forage and hunt. In addition, we delve deeper into the different diets of wild turtles, domesticated turtles and baby turtles. So let’s dive in and find out which foods the turtle loves the most!
What do turtles like to eat?
Because so many species inhabit a variety of environments, each turtle has a preferred diet. While some turtles mainly feed on plants, others are predominantly carnivorous. However, most turtles are omnivores and eat a wide variety of foods. To determine what a turtle eats, you just need to study its physiology, habitat, and available food sources. For example, the Galapagos turtles eat prickly pear cacti, flowers, leaves and herbs. On the other hand, snapping alligator turtles primarily feed on fish, shellfish, amphibians, carrion, and small mammals. However, you can narrow down the diet of most turtles to about 15 different foods. They include:
- Greens
- Worms, slugs and snails
- Insects and beetles
- Flowers
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Sea spray and cucumbers
- Herbs, weeds and leaves
- A fish
- Crustaceans
- Seaweed
- Seaweed
- Sponges
- Jellyfish
- Squid
While some turtles eat different foods, the items on the list above are the most common. For example, many turtles eat carrion, if any. In addition, carnivorous turtles can also eat small mammals or amphibians. Because turtles do not care for their young, they sometimes eat their own eggs and those of other animals.
How do turtles forage and hunt for food?
The first turtles appeared about 260 million years ago in the late Permian era. At that time, many turtles had teeth, unlike modern toothless turtles. Without teeth, most modern turtles either swallow their food whole or bite into small pieces before swallowing. To bite food, many turtles have developed beaks to bite and chew food. Carnivorous turtles have razor-sharp beaks, while omnivorous turtles have serrated beaks that help them cut and grind plant matter. On the other hand, some turtles, such as the soft-shelled turtles, developed soft lips rather than beaks.
Depending on their diet, turtles use different methods of hunting or foraging. They use their highly developed vision to distinguish patterns and shapes, and some, such as sea turtles, can distinguish colors. Turtles can also locate prey and predators by smell. Although most turtles can hear, their hearing is less developed and unsuitable for hunting prey. Turtle lips can use their lips as bait to lure prey. Some turtles burrow to the bottom of a river or lake and wait for unsuspecting prey to swim past. Soft-shelled turtles swim well thanks to their lighter body and webbed feet, allowing them to chase slower prey. When food becomes less available, some turtles will search for carrion at the bottom of lakes or rivers.
What do wild turtles eat?
As mentioned earlier, turtles eat food that they have adapted for consumption and that is found in abundance in their habitat. However, some turtles have adapted to very specific diets. Sea turtles are some of the best examples of specialization in the diet of turtles. Technically omnivorous, hawk-billed turtles primarily feed on sea sponges, although they eat other marine plants and animals. Meanwhile, scientists call leatherback turtles gelatinous because their diet consists almost entirely of jellyfish and sea spray. On the other hand, adult green sea turtles live mainly on algae and sea grasses. They are the only one of seven species of sea turtles that are mostly herbivores.
Most soft-shelled turtles eat a strict carnivorous diet. These turtles live in fresh or brackish water throughout Africa, Asia and North America. Their diet includes fish, shrimp, crabs, insects, snails, eggs, amphibians, and sometimes small birds or mammals. Meanwhile, many land turtles feed mainly on herbivores. Their diet consists mainly of herbs, leaves, weeds, flowers, vegetables and fruits, as well as some insects and other animals. Common fruits and vegetables include dandelions, mustard greens, leafy greens, and berries.
At the same time, some foods are toxic to turtles. In addition to things like dairy products, processed meats, and carbohydrate-rich vegetables, certain plants can also harm your turtle if eaten. Toxic plants include amaryllis, avocado leaves and seeds, gardenia, carolina jessamine, ivy, boxwood, blackthorn, poinsettia, primrose, and others.
What do domestic turtles eat?
In the United States, people usually keep turtles as pets. To be precise, over 2 million turtles currently live as pets and their popularity continues to grow. While most people think of turtles as low-maintenance pets, turtles require a surprising amount of specialized care. Turtles require a special diet and some species need to avoid certain types of food. Generally speaking, omnivorous turtles eat a wide variety of foods, including pellets, feeders, insects, fruits, and vegetables. Meanwhile, herbivorous turtles should eat mostly vegetables and some fruits.
If you have a land herbivorous turtle or tortoise, their diet should be mostly leafy greens or vegetables. Popular options include lettuce, kale and kale, as well as small amounts of legumes, mushrooms, corn, carrots, and cucumbers. In general, these foods should make up between 70% and 80% of the herbivorous turtle’s diet. The remaining 20-30% should include fruit and some insects or high protein meat. Low-sugar fruits such as berries and melons are best, and small amounts of pears, apples, and mangoes are also acceptable.
Alternatively, if you have a carnivorous freshwater turtle, you will want to feed it primarily high-protein animal foods. For insects and bedbugs, look for worms, larvae, snails, slugs, crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, and mealworms. In addition, small amounts of crayfish, forage fish or shrimp can be included in the diet of a carnivorous turtle. Alternatively, you can add a small amount of pelleted turtle food to your pet’s diet. These supplements contain a blend of essential proteins, vitamins and nutrients and can help your turtle stay healthy. Although omnivorous turtles can eat fruit, they should eat small amounts of fruit, and carnivorous turtles should not eat fruit at all. Always choose products from reliable sources, avoiding the use of pesticides or other harmful substances.
What do baby turtles eat?
In the wild, the first food most turtles eat is their own embryonic egg fluid and yolk. This food will saturate baby turtles for several days until they are strong enough to leave the nest to feed and hunt. As with adult turtles, the diet of small turtles varies depending on the environment, physical characteristics and species. Omnivorous baby turtles eat various grasses, fruits, small fish, insects and worms. Meanwhile, carnivorous turtles mainly eat larvae, insects, beetles, worms, slugs, snails, small fish, and crayfish. However, in general, omnivorous baby turtles require more protein than their adult counterparts. Whatever you feed your baby turtle, cut its food into pieces to make it easier for your pet to eat.
In addition to natural foods, your turtle pet may also include supplements in its diet. You can buy these supplements from pet stores or online, and they come in the form of granules, flakes, sticks, or gels. These supplements contain mostly protein, followed by fat, fiber, ash and some vitamins and minerals. Common ingredients in baby turtle supplements include:
- a fish dish
- Corn-soybean meal
- Poultry flour
- Meat food
- Fish fat
- Vitamins
- Preservatives
When deciding on a supplement, be sure to check with your veterinarian or the specialists at your pet store. This way you get the right supplement for your baby turtle, optimized for its diet.
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