Red-Eared Slider Turtle Diet

What do Red-Eared Slider Turtles Eat?

Image from thesprucepets.com

Red-eared slider turtles are really cool pets. They are quiet and easy to care for once you understand their needs. Although red-eared slider turtles don't do much, it's easy to think they don't need much in their diet. Like humans, red-eared slider turtles need variety in their diets. Feeding them pellets every day is like eating pb&j sandwiches every day. So, what exactly can red-eared slider turtles eat?

Prey Items

Red-eared slider turtles eat living organisms. They require a good source of protein and a great place to get that is through insects and fish. Below you'll find a short list of prey animals your turtle can eat:

• Earthworms
• Crickets
• Waxworms
• Aquatic Snails
• Daphnia
• Shrimp
• Minnows

A cool turtle tip for college students is you can find some of these prey in your backyard. Nadia's dad loves to garden and he encounters earthworms all the time. Do keep in mind that anything you get from the wild, could be contaminated with pesticides or parasites. Shopping for live prey for your red-eared turtle can be difficult because there are options and things to consider. At pet stores, you may find live crickets, shrimp, etc. You may also find freeze dried crickets, mealworms, etc. A turtle tip to keep in mind is your turtle may not like eating dead prey. Every turtle has their preference. Your turtle may like live fish but also enjoy freeze dried crickets. When it comes to deciding between live or freeze dried, it is trial and error.

Leafy Greens

This chart helps display dietary requirements for young and adult red-eared slider turtles.

Although red-eared slider turtles eat prey animals, they also need leafy greens in their diet. If you looked at the image above, you'll notice young turtles need more protein in their diet while older turtles need less. A turtle fact to keep in mind when raising your red-eared slider turtle is they become more vegetarian as they get older. Don't be shocked if you notice your turtle favoring vegetation over prey. You can read more on leafy greens from Lianne Mcleod, DVM's What Should I Feed My Red-Eared Slider Turtle? Lianne Mcleod gives some insightful turtle tips when feeding your red-eared slider turtle leafy greens, protein, fruits and vegetables.

Final Turtle Tips

When shopping for turtle food, it can be pretty stressful especially if you don't know what they eat. The most important thing to do is do your research. There are lots of websites and turtle forums with the same information. If your red-eared slider turtle has no problem eating dead prey definitely consider Amazon to shop for crickets and check out these freeze-dried crickets. Moreover, an important turtle tip is be aware that shrimp to your turtle is like candy to a kid so feed them shrimp sparingly. And lastly, watch your turtle's reaction to new foods; they may love it or get sick from it.