What do red-eared turtles eat?.

First, let's get acquainted: this reptile has as many as fifteen subspecies that appear in biology under different names. Red-eared turtle, yellow-bellied turtle, Cumberland turtle, Trust's turtle... Various subspecies of the animal are interesting only to specialists, but pet lovers do not care which species this reptile belongs to. For them, it is much more important what red-eared turtles eat, what are the optimal conditions for keeping and how much it will cost to acquire and create these conditions. But first things first.

A red-eared turtle in the wild

Its natural habitat is the southeastern United States, Central America and southwest South America. Introduced (artificially populated) in Israel, in some European countries and in South Africa. And in Australia, the bred turtle is even recognized as a pest that has significantly supplanted the endemic (local) species. Europeans have known it since the 16th century, when the Spanish conquistadors waged wars of conquest in South America.

What do red-eared turtles eat? Under natural conditions, their diet is made up of plants and small animals inhabiting the territory of their residence. But they still prefer (especially at a young age) animal food. They lead an aquatic lifestyle, when danger is detected, they are saved in the water. The length of the carapace (dorsal part of the shell) is up to 30 centimeters.

How much a red-eared turtle should eat

Novice pet owners often do not know how much a red-eared turtle should eat when kept in captivity. Although these pets are omnivorous, adults prefer mostly plant foods at home. But when feeding, one should not forget about the animal - it is necessary to maintain normal vitality. Young turtles should be fed lean fish, meat, beef liver, and they especially like shrimp. The meat diet should not be particularly plentiful, since an overabundance of meat from warm-blooded animals can provoke the development of rickets. In this video, you can watch the feeding of the red-eared turtle in a separate "dining room" - a basin:

With age, gradually transfer them to a predominantly vegetable food. Ready-made mixtures can be purchased at pet stores, and, if desired, can be made by yourself. To prepare a balanced meal, you will need the following ingredients:

  • carrots - 70 grams;
  • Gelatin - 30 grams;
  • cabbage - 50 grams;
  • calcium glycerophosphate - 10 tablets;
  • apples - 50 grams;
  • multivitamins (eg Tetravit) - 20 drops;
  • fish fillets - 145 grams;
  • milk - 150 milliliters;
  • squid fillet - 100 grams;
  • raw egg - 2 pieces;
  • water - 150 milliliters.

Gelatin is poured with hot water, and the rest of the components (except tablets, eggs, milk and vitamins) are ground in a meat grinder. Eggs and milk are placed in the resulting mixture, after which everything is thoroughly mixed again and hot gelatin is added. When everything cools down to about 30 degrees, it is the turn of the pills and vitamins. This is enough for 10 feeds. Keep turtle food in the refrigerator and warm it to room temperature before feeding.

Interestingly, domestic red-eared turtles do not eat every day. An adult individual needs two or three feedings per week, and only young turtle (up to about two years of age) should eat daily, but not more than once. They always feed in a reservoir, since their body does not secrete saliva, and water is used to moisten food. Uneaten crumbs settle to the bottom and, decomposing, strongly contribute to the pollution of the aquarium, just like animal feces. In this regard, experienced "tortoise breeders" carry out feeding in specially adapted tanks and containers.

The cost of red-eared turtles is low - from 100 rubles (a very young individual) to about 3000 (an adult large tortoise). But creating normal conditions for them will require some costs and space (for organizing a turtle "canteen"). Of course, you can do without it, but dirty water will greatly shorten the life of the animal. And in favorable home conditions, the red-eared turtle can live up to 30-40 years.

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