Box Turtle Diet

A Gulf Coast Turtle and Tortoise Society Care Sheet

Adult box turtles do quite well when fed about 3 times a week. Overfeeding may cause serious organ damage. Vary the diet using the suggestions below and don't just feed them a few favorite foods. Healthy turtles should have good appetites but can become finicky eaters if overfed, making a balanced diet difficult.

Vitamin and mineral supplements are unnecessary if the diet is varied, and could be harmful. Too much calcium can mineralize vital organs and blood vessels and excesses of any one vitamin can cause a deficiency in others. The percentages in reptile vitamins sold may not be correct. Two drops of cod liver oil twice a week is a natural source of vitamin A and can be safely used to supplement diet at that dosage. Egg shells can provide additional calcium if needed.

Too much fruit can alter the gut flora as well as setting the turtle up for nutritional imbalances.

Turtles housed outdoors in garden type habitats will feed naturally on snails, earthworms, insects, animal droppings, plants, etc. and are likely to get a good diet. Soil contains minerals a turtle may need, so allowing the turtle to feed naturally on the ground is preferable to using a plate.

Protein Based Foods:

(well over 50% of diet)

NOTE: earthworms and insects including feeder crickets are usually low in calcium and should not be a major part of the protein based foods. Avoid pinkie mice. They are too high in fat and too low in calcium.

cooked egg with shell	dead, thawed, fuzzy or hopper mice
whole feeder fish cut in half	slugs
earthworms	snails
insects	tadpoles

animal feces (animals must not be carrying internal parasites)

Fruits and Vegetables

(Fruit should be about 10% of diet)

(Vegetables should be about 30% of diet)

peaches	figs	tomatoes
nectarines	mangoes	bell pepper
apricots	grapes	peas
strawberries	grapefruit	squash
other berries	oranges	zucchini
prickly pear pads (no spines)		plum
other melons*	carrots	asparagus
cherries	cantelope*	kale
apple*	banana	endive
pear*	dandelions	okra
greens - varied	mushrooms	mulberries
persimmons	cherries	blackberries
blueberries

* - no seeds

Foods to be limited or avoided:

The following foods should not be fed due to a high phosphorus to calcium ratio or excessive vitamin D content:

corn on the cob, chicken, dog/cat food, liver and organ meats, turtle food, beef, monkey chow, trout chow.

Gulf Coast Turtle and Tortoise Society

The Gulf Coast Turtle and Tortoise Society is an all volunteer organization whose goals include:

• Provide a turtle and tortoise rescue, rehabilitation, and release operation in cooperation with other wildlife rescue organizations and turtle and tortoise societies.
• Educate ourselves and the public, through public presentations and meetings, about all aspects of turtle and tortoise care, natural history, and conservation.
• Disseminate the best available information regarding the proper captive husbandry of turtles and tortoises.
• Disseminate information concerning the plight of wild turtles and tortoises and effective efforts to help them.
• Provide an adoption service to our members for captive turtles and tortoises that need new homes.
• Encourage captive breeding programs for turtles and tortoises with a special emphasis on those species that are threatened by habitat destruction and share our experiences in this area.
• Work to make captive bred turtles and tortoises available as an alternative to the trade in wild caught turtles and tortoises.
• Serve as a cooperative to obtain discounts for our members on captive care products and supplies.

For more information about the GCTTS or about the care of turtles and tortoises, email info@gctts.org, write us at GCTTS, 1227 Whitestone Ln, Houston, TX 77073, or visit our website http://www.GCTTS.Org.

GCTTS meetings are open to the public and free.

Membership and care information is available at our meetings and on our web site.

 Copyright (c)  2004 Gulf Coast Turtle and Tortoise Society
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