what do they feed on both in the wild and in captivity?i know they're mainly carnivourous but what would be a good diet?
? sternotherus
- Thread starter wwg
- Start date
They're not very picky on size. If they see it an it's edible, they'll eat it.
Well, when I use to have a breeding pair they were outdoors and had a place to lay eggs so I let mother nature incubate them. That's not the case now for the pair I have. I will remove the eggs and incubate them when the time comes. But you have to be very careful when you do remove them. Like I said they're very fragile.
I'm a firm believer in a varied diet. You can feed your animal nothing but pellets but you have to remember that not all turtle species have the same diet and I don't believe feeding them just a turtle pellet covers all their needs.
I feed my Musk Turtles earthworms, crickets, snails, aquatic insect larva, frozen shrimp, fish fillets, canned tuna, freeze-dried shrimp, a few types of turtle pellets like Reptomin, cichlid pellets, shrimp pellets and boiled squash and peas. I also always have live Anacharis in the tank for them to nibble on if they want too.
That sounds pretty much like what I feed mine, except that mine refuse to eat vegetables.
Wild Sternotherus odoratus are opportunists; they feed on crustaceans, molluscs, worms, insects, carrion, plants, and slow or injured fish, amphibians, etc. They're sort of like miniature versions of the common snapping turtle.
Wild Sternotherus odoratus are opportunists; they feed on crustaceans, molluscs, worms, insects, carrion, plants, and slow or injured fish, amphibians, etc. They're sort of like miniature versions of the common snapping turtle.
Well to be honest, the veggies that I provide are really for the plecostomus that lives with them but on occasion, my male Stinkpot will nibble on the veggies.
He's adventurous, eh? I went through a period of trying to get all of my turtles eating more fruits, greens, and vegetables, but it was a complete bust. Even my boxes and painted refused them. I only offered them raw, maybe I should cook the vegetables for them.
Oh man, my male stinkpot will eat until he pops I think. He's constantly begging for food. It's really hard to not feed him when he does this because he looks so cute and pathetic at the same time.
Here's a video of him begging right after I just fed him.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Si1pYzEcd3E
If you boil zucchini or squash for a few minutes it gets nice and soft and sinks.
So your box turtles don't eat their veggies, eh? Wow, mine are fat little pigs and love to eat berries like they're going out of fashion. Bright colors really draw them in. I feed mine various berries, tomatoes, yellow squash, grated carrots, steamed corn along with their meaty foods.
Haha, my stinkpots do that too. It's pitiful. If you ever keep sunfish, they're even worse; they can be so full you can see the food in the back of their throats, and they still look for more.
I'll have to try berries. I've given the boxes various leafy greens, yellow and green squashes, tomatos, carrots, bits of apple and banana, and the fruity-smelling pellets sold as box turtle food; they consistently ignore all. They would starve if not for nightcrawlers, mealworms, and occasionally crickets.
I'll have to try berries. I've given the boxes various leafy greens, yellow and green squashes, tomatos, carrots, bits of apple and banana, and the fruity-smelling pellets sold as box turtle food; they consistently ignore all. They would starve if not for nightcrawlers, mealworms, and occasionally crickets.
Definitely get them to eat their fruits and veggies as it's suppose to make up 50% or more of their diet. I've never tried giving mine those "box turtle diets" that they sell in pet stores. I recommend giving yours some grated carrots and yellow squash too. It helps them get their daily Vitamin A intake so they don't get swollen or stuck shut eyes. I'm sure yours will love berries. You can sneak other foods in with the berries if you mash them all together. Mine love raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and blackberries.
