Can Turtles Eat Fruit? Should Your Feed It Daily?
Although turtles eat almost everything, all of it is not good for their health. It is necessary to follow a diet for good health. Now, what should be in the diet?
Can turtles eat fruit? Yes, turtles can eat fruit. For wild turtles, it is a part of their daily meals. But for pet turtles, fruit should be included in the diet as a snack item. Eating fruit daily as the main course doesn’t provide enough nutrition.
We need to address other questions, such as how to feed turtles and the health benefits and risks of feeding fruits to turtles. In this article, we will provide all the necessary information.
Can You Feed Fruit to Your Pet Turtles?
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Fruit is a good food option for the pet turtles you feed. On the other hand, to keep it in excellent health, you shouldn’t feed it every day but rather every other day. And if you feed your turtles fruit daily, it may cause stomach irritation. So, it is better to keep fruit in the turtles’ diet as a treat item.
Why shouldn’t pet turtles be fed fruits daily? That is because fruits generally have a high amount of phosphorus. Turtles, however, need foods that are high in calcium. A small amount of phosphorus is not harmful, but an excessive amount can weaken turtles’ bones. And replacing calcium with phosphorus is not good for turtles. That’s why turtles benefit from occasional feedings of fruits.
However, not all fruits have the same benefits for turtles. Some fruits might be harmful to your health. Now, when feeding fruits to your turtle, you should know which fruits are okay and which should be avoided.
Well, you can feed almost all types of fruits except citrus. Why? It is because they contain citric acid that can cause vomiting and other difficulties in the turtle’s digestive system. So, avoid citrus fruits like oranges, grapes, lemons, mandarins, pomelo, limes, and others.
Fruits such as apple, banana, avocado, date, coconut, guava, pomegranate, watermelon, etc., are edible even though they contain a lot of phosphorus. Apart from this, all these foods have other nutritional values. So, you can feed them occasionally without any risk.
Do Turtles Like Fruits?
Generally, wild turtles like fruits. They eat it daily. However, in the case of pet turtles, the scenario is not the same. Some turtles like to eat it, while some avoid it.
Whether or not the turtles like to eat fruit depends on their eating habits. Even so, some turtles eat only meat and pellets. Give your turtle a slice first to find out if it likes to eat fruit. It will eat if it likes; otherwise, avoid it.
Health Benefits For Turtles Eating Fruit
Fruits add different kinds of nutritional value to the turtles’ diet. The main nutritional value is that it has vitamins and minerals. Even in some cases, a slight amount of phosphorus is also necessary.
What vitamins do turtles get from fruits? The vitamins your turtles can have from fruits are Vitamin (A, B6, and C). All these vitamins play a very vital role in maintaining the good health of the turtles.
So many health benefits are there for a turtle if it eats fruit accordingly. What are the benefits? Let’s know about them.
Vitamin A
The skin benefits greatly from the presence of Vitamin A. When a turtle is deficient in vitamin A, it will begin to shed excessively. It also starts making it more susceptible to infection. Vitamin A aids in the maintenance of healthy vision as well as the process of reproduction in the body.
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 has a significant impact on the conversion of energy. It keeps turtles active all day. They would grow fatigued if they didn’t get any. Berries are a good source of vitamin B6.
Vitamin C
Bone health is dependent on vitamin C, and as you know, it plays a vital role in this process. The turtle’s shell, which is almost entirely composed of bone, necessitates the use of vitamin C. Due to the abundance of vitamin C in fruits, turtles rarely suffer from vitamin C deficiency.
Low Fat
As a bonus, fruits are very low in fat compared to other food sources. Turtles that consume a lot of fat can develop heart problems. On the other hand, fruits nearly never have fat content greater than 0.5 grams per 100 grams.
How Much Fruits Should Turtles Eat?
Try to feed your turtles those fruits that contain less phosphorus. For example, bananas have three times as much phosphorus as apples. So, you can provide your turtles with 300 grams of apple instead of 100 grams of banana. Besides, the apple has more vitamins than the banana.
So, learn about the nutritional benefits of different fruits. And then add them to your turtle’s diet.
How Do You Prepare Fruits For Turtles?
Preparing fruits for turtles is not a tough job. You just need to clean the fruits. Better if you get some organic fruits.
After cleaning them, you can simply place them before the turtles or chop them into slices. Many people ask whether it is necessary to remove the peels of the fruits. Well, not necessarily. Turtles can eat fruits with peels. But if the shell is hard enough, then you should remove it.
Can You Feed Fruits To The Baby Turtles?
Yes, with other pellets and veggies, you can feed fruits to the baby turtles, but only a very slight amount. Moreover, you need to feed them the chopped pieces of the fruits. Besides, for baby turtles, all fruits are not good. What can you feed them? You can feed them cantaloupe, apples, bananas, berries, and mangoes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, box turtles can eat fruit. Fruit should be provided occasionally because box turtles prefer it over vegetables, which are less nutritious than vegetables. All tropical fruits except citrus are edible for box turtles. Moreover, always feed fruits to your box turtles regarding their nutritional value. Remember, the less phosphorus, the better.
Yes, red-eared slider turtles can eat fruits. Fresh fruits such as apples, bananas, berries, and melons are recommended by several experts. However, this is not a normal part of the red-eared sliders’ diet, and it can potentially cause diarrhea to them. Provide only a very modest amount of fruits as an occasional treat if you feed any.
Fruits are generally safe for painted turtles to eat. But we recommend not to feed fruits to them as the main food. According to Dr. Starkey, the best fruits for painted turtles are sliced watermelons, apples, and chopped berries. However, wild-painted turtles are more prone to eat all types of fruits.
Conclusion
It’s time to conclude here with the final statement that turtles can eat fruits. But if you have pet turtles, feed fruits to them occasionally. You should also mix greens and proteins in their diet.
And always avoid citrus fruits from their diet. Hope the article was helpful. Wish your turtles have good health!
Do you want to know if turtles eat spinach or grapes? Read our articles about it to learn more.
