Can Turtles Eat Oranges? What You Need To Know!
Turtles are adorable creatures that are primarily omnivores. It means they rely on plants as well as insects to fill their diet. However, it’s more complicated than you think.
Can you feed oranges to your pet turtle? The short answer is yes. Turtles can eat oranges if you give them peeled off and in small quantities. Orange is an acidic citrus fruit which is advisable if you give them once in a while to your Turtle. It can be as a treat or once every two days.
However, some turtles may like oranges while others may not. Normally, a boxed turtle and baby turtle love oranges in their diet as it is rich in protein, vitamins, and sugar. So if you want to know the best way to provide meals for your turtles, scroll down to find out!
Can You Feed Oranges To Your Pet Turtle?
Contents
The majority of pet turtles are omnivores. Their meals revolve around a healthy diet consisting of both plants and insects which are rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals. They need a healthy and balanced diet to maintain their long lifespan.
Oranges are a citrus fruit rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin A, which are necessary to eliminate fat, energy gain, and proper growth. A turtle’s diet depends a lot on fruits considering they make up anywhere from 10 percent to 20 percent, so yes, you can feed oranges to your pet turtle.
Giving a turtle a well-balanced diet is necessary as it keeps them healthy, speeding their growth. In contrast, an unwatched diet may result in a lack of growth and health issues.
For an average turtle, their fruit diet makes up much less compared to baby turtles. Because an adult turtle depends on vegetation much more than fruits and meat in their later life, that said, not all turtles can eat oranges. This is due to oranges being too sour sometimes, which can put a turtle off and make them avoid Oranges.
According to experts, you should provide adult turtle Oranges once every week to once every two weeks. The amount you should give can be anywhere from half a slice to two slices of oranges at maximum.
Make sure you remove the orange peels as they can contain pesticides that can affect the digestive system of a turtle in a bad way. Baby turtles may choke on orange seeds, and they make it difficult to digest food. So it is also advisable you remove the seeds when feeding oranges to your pet baby turtle.
Do Turtles Like Oranges?
Oranges are healthy. Adult turtle’s diet is mainly green veggies and fruits. So they do rely on oranges a lot, be it in the wild or care. However, not all turtles react the same way to oranges. Their sour taste may be unappealing to some turtles. This is because turtles are attracted to sweet fruits, but a sour taste may give them off.
Baby Turtles need additional care when feeding oranges. The orange needs to be washed and the peel removed in general as it may contain pesticides. It is best if you can provide Baby Turtles with one or two slices of orange every two weeks so they can make the most out of their diet.
Health Benefits For Turtles Eating Oranges
Oranges are a rich source of Vitamin C and Vitamin A, which can improve the digestive system of a Turtle and their overall health. Just like Oranges are healthy for Humans, it is for turtles as well.
You must give turtles a small number of oranges as they need time to digest them. If they can’t, it can cause digestive issues at a young age due to the spike of citric acid inside their body.
How Do You Prepare Oranges For Turtles?
As turtles are a lot smaller than us, a small amount of Orange slice is enough for them. The same comparison goes between adult Turtles and Baby Turtles. A Baby Turtle requires less amount of food compared to an Adult Turtle.
To prepare an orange, take out the peel. Then gently slice out a little piece. Nevertheless, ensure you take orange seeds out of them before feeding as baby turtles may choke on them. The right amount of consumption is crucial for a turtle. Otherwise, they may face health risks which may include changes in diet.
How Many Oranges Should Turtles Eat?
Turtles are health-conscious animals. Their health is directly linked to their diet, which can be said to be made up of the following: 70% Veggies, 10-15% Meat and insects, and the remaining Fruits.
The diet size of a turtle differs from one to another, as a baby turtle requires less than an adult turtle. For baby turtles, fruits should take up 10%-15% of their entire diet. So you should also give them oranges once in a while for best results.
Can Painted Turtles Eat Oranges?
Like other Turtles, a painted turtle depends on fruit intake, especially oranges, for a healthy diet. They can eat oranges just like any other turtle on the list. It should be kept in mind that, like any other turtle, you provide painted turtle oranges once in a while as a treat! It keeps their digestive system healthy.
Video Of A Turtle Eating Oranges
Nevertheless, check out how these turtles enjoy their monthly oranges.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Oranges are safe for boxed turtles and should be included in their diet for healthy growth. A box turtle can eat oranges as they fit into their appetite. Oranges are Sweet in smell and sour in taste, which can put many turtles off.
However, for Box turtles, Fruit intake is best advised to keep at 10%, which means it’s best advisable to provide a Box Turtle with a small number of oranges once every two weeks.
Yes, like other turtles, a red-eared slider loves oranges too. Although their primary diet is dead fish and insects, a part of the diet also focuses on vegetables and fruits. Hence their diet consists of oranges too.
Conclusion
To conclude, Turtles eat oranges as they love them. Oranges make up a vital part of their diet due to the number of vitamins present. However, too much consumption of Oranges may lead to acidity.
Their diet may change depending on the ages and types of turtles, so it’s best to give oranges once a week or twice a week as a treat and make sure you take out Orange seeds before you give them. This will ensure the turtle has the perfect and stable growth circulating a healthy diet.
Do you want to know if turtles eat corn or tomatoes? Read our articles about it to learn more.
