Can Turtles Eat Bread

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can turtles eat bread

Can turtles eat bread? Though, they are omnivorous by nature, bread is not the most healthy food for turtles to eat. The reason is that the particular enzymes required to break down foods like bread and dairy products are not found in turtles. Thus, bread may actually be harmful for them.

In order to choose the right meals for your pet turtle, you need to know exactly what type it is. Each type of turtle has varied preferences and dietary requirements. If you buy your turtle at a pet shop, the staff will be able to identify the type of turtle your pet is and provide tips on what suitable foods will be. If you get your pet from another source, you need to find out its type so that you can provide suitable care as per its needs. You can take it to a veterinarian or a nearby pet store for identification. Popular pet turtles are aquatic turtles like the red-eared slider or the box turtles, snapping turtles, painted turtles or green sea turtles.

can turtles eat bread

Can Turtles Eat Bread in Small Amounts As a Treat

No, bread is not recommended food for turtles. If you feed your pet turtle bread, it is quite probable that he will eat it. The fact is that most pet turtles are domesticated and will often eat whatever you feed them. This places an additional responsibility on you to feed your pet only those foods that are good for it. Most foods consumed by people have added preservatives and spices, both of which are likely to cause harm to your turtle. Therefore, you must not feed them to your pet turtles.

What Should Your Turtles Eat

The best possible diet for a pet turtle is one that has high content of nutrients, calcium and vitamins. This will ensure that your pet remains healthy and has a well-balanced diet. Turtles absolutely love small fish, leafy vegetables, dehydrated shrimp and meats. You may also feed them cooked meats, insects and cooked eggs. Some even like flowers and fruits. Especially designed turtle food is also available at many pet stores. Add this to your turtle’s meals so that it can get all essential nutrients that may be missing in his diet.

What Do Wild Turtles Eat

Turtles that live in the wild have varied diets based on their type and their natural habitat. Typically, wild turtles eat water plants, worms, snails, insects, small fish and the remains of dead water creatures. The main component of the diet is protein, which is essential for them to grow. This is why the diet of baby turtles mainly comprises meat; however, they do start eating vegetation as adults.

How To Choose Your Turtle’s Meals

There are several elements that need to be taken into consideration while choosing your pet turtles meals. You need to first establish the age and type of the turtle. It would really be helpful to know what your turtle’s natural habitat is like. This will help you decide which kinds of foods will be suitable for it and which conditions will help it to thrive in. Turtles are mostly carnivores as babies and omnivores once they are adults.                                                           

Know The Species

There are many different sub-species of sea turtles. Several types feed on jellyfish, sponges, or other sea creatures, but generally the soft kind. A few species have strong jaws that enable them to eat shellfish.

  • Green sea turtles

There are a few species of sea turtles that are herbivores. An example is the green sea turtle that eats only vegetation. Their main food is algae and they form an essential component of the coral reef conservation.

  • Painted turtles

A species of fresh water turtles known as painted turtles, feeds on all kinds of leafy plants, shellfish, fish and bugs, like crickets and worms. Because turtles make a mess while eating, it is wise to use a different tank while feeding them. This will ensure that the tank they live in remains clean. Your turtle should have suitable quantities of calcium for a healthy shell. As you cannot feed it any dairy product, you should give it vitamin supplements so that its calcium requirements are fulfilled.

  • Snapping turtles

This kind of turtle mostly prefers live food. Its favorites include small fish, such as gold fish and minnows. You will be able to buy these at local pet stores. You can also feed them crickets and crayfish, both of which are used as bait and can be found at pet stores or bait shops. If fresh fish isn’t available, you can choose from the several varieties of frozen fish available at grocery stores. You should also add some fresh fruits and vegetables to your snapping turtle’s meals.

It would be safe to conclude that the bread is not a good choice of food for your pet turtle. If the turtle eats bread accidentally, observe it carefully for a day and take it to the vet right away if you observe any unusual behavior.

 

References:

http://small-pets.lovetoknow.com/what-do-turtles-eat

http://animalquestions.org/reptiles/turtles/can-turtles-eat-bread/

 

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