Can Turtles Eat Lettuce

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can turtles eat lettuce

Can turtles eat lettuce? Yes, they can and most of them simply love it! Because most turtles are omnivores, they usually eat nearly everything. Even if your turtle eats everything you offer, it is quite probable that leafy greens, like lettuce, will be a big favorite. Turtles also enjoy live foods, such as insects and small fish.

can turtles eat lettuce

Turtles are Amazing Pets!

If you are planning to get a turtle for a pet, take my word, you’ll simply love it! They are amazing pets, but you will need to put in a great deal of time and effort in taking care of them. If your biggest worry is what you should feed them, just do some research and read up. A turtle’s diet mainly includes vegetables and fruits, and proteins, such as fish, worms and insects.

How Much and How Frequently Should your Turtle Be Fed?

You also need to know how frequently a turtle should be fed and how much. The quantity and frequency of the feeding depends on the kind of turtle, its age and size. There are some common guidelines you can follow and if you still have questions, it may be wise to take your turtle to a vet and ask for a consultation session.

What Not to Feed your Turtle

There are some things you should not feed to your turtle, like table scraps and leftovers from your food. One of the reasons is that spices and additional salt found in human food is not good for your turtle and is very likely to make your turtle ill. It is very important that you give your turtle a balanced and healthy diet that comprises foods that are suitable for it.

Variety in the Diet

Through experience, turtle owners have discovered that a diet with more variety ensures that a turtle has better health. This also helps in making sure that your turtle does not get fed up of eating the same foods. There are some good quality commercial foods that are available in the market that you can feed your aquatic and semi-aquatic turtles. Mixing up these commercial foods with vegetables such as lettuce, fruits, meats and fish provides a balanced and nutritious diet for your turtle.

Turtles are Messy Eaters

You can feed your turtle lettuce, but remember that turtles are frequently rather messy eaters. Due to this fact, you will have to make considerable effort to keep the turtle’s tank clear of debris and ensure that the water remains clean.  When you feed your turtle lettuce, any parts that are left uneaten will make the tank murky in a few minutes. This is because lettuce decomposes in water very quickly. You can fish out the chunks using a net to avoid this.

Remove Uneaten Lettuce Right Away

You do however need to watch out for small bits of decomposing lettuce bits that can get stuck beneath logs and rocks in the tank and cause the water to become contaminated. As lettuce is quite sticky when it becomes soggy, it can get trapped beneath stones or gravel. To keep your turtle’s tank clean, remove the portions that it does not eat very vigilantly.

Does your Turtle Look ill?

Although, turtles are often resilient and strong, they can get sick. If your turtle seems to be lethargic, appears to getting cloudy patches on the skin or a milky look in the eyes, all these are indications that your turtle may be ill or be suffering from the after effects of poor nutrition. You need to find a veterinarian who has good knowledge about reptiles so that it can be established whether there is a dietary issue or if a disease is the root cause.

Which Carnivorous Foods Can Your Turtle Eat?

The meat-based diet of your turtle should comprise 50% of the diet for an adult turtle and 70% for a baby turtle. Based on your turtles’ size, you can feed it amphibians like frogs and tadpoles. Turtles also benefit from eating other creatures like snails, earthworms, beetles, slugs, moths, grasshoppers, crickets, mealworms and other small insects. It is not advisable to feed your turtle wild amphibians or fish because they may be carrying parasites which can make the turtle ill. If you’ve been feeding your turtle predominantly fish, this can possibly cause a thiamine deficiency. This is why it is extremely important that you diversify its food.

If your turtle does not appear to be eating well, try to add more variety in the food. Turtles love leafy green vegetables like lettuce. They also enjoy eating berries, cloves, cabbage and alfalfa. You surely know the answer to the question that you started with; can turtles eat lettuce… surely a yes!

 

Related articles:

Can Turtles Eat Bananas

References:

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

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

http://www.wikihow.com/Know-What-to-Feed-a-Turtle

http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/pet-health-information/article/animal-health/turtles-aquatic-feeding/1075

http://www.fishpondinfo.com/turtles/turfeed.htm

 

 

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