Adults should be fed a diet of 30% meat or protein and 70% plant matter, and babies should be fed a 50/50 diet of plants and meat. Good plants to feed red-eared sliders are dark leafy greens, aquatic plants, and vegetables. Feeder fish, invertebrates, and commercial turtle pellets are good sources of protein.
Do red-eared sliders need to eat everyday?
How often should I feed my red-eared slider? The frequency of feeding depends on the age and size of your red-eared slider. Smaller or juvenile turtles will eat heartily every day. As they get older, adult turtles may be offered a good-sized portion of food every two or three days.
What veggies do red-eared sliders eat?
Like humans, red-eared sliders are also omnivorous and have a very varied diet. Sliders can eat many types of vegetables- such as green beans, tomatoes, lettuce, kale, and squash- but also a wide range of fruits – skinned apples, bananas, berries, melons, nectarine, and mango.
How much food should a red-eared slider eat?
You should feed an adult red eared slider vegetables every other day or at least 3 times a week. Offer them a protein source once or twice a week. You can gradually reduce their protein to once a week the older they get.
What should I feed my red-eared slider daily? – Related Questions
What is a turtles favorite food?
Beaked sea turtles enjoy crabs, sponges, algae, seagrass, shrimp, squids, sea cucumbers, and cuttlefish. They also enjoy boiled eggs. Freshwater turtles prefer worms, larvae, snails, and fruit that fell in the water. To feed turtles in the water, you can use floating ‘food sticks’ like ReptoMin.
Do red-eared sliders need to be in water all the time?
The answer is, yes.
Red-eared sliders need to be in the water. For starters, red-eared sliders lack saliva and need water to swallow their food. They can eat without water, it’s just a lot more difficult. They also need to be in the water to stay hydrated and be as healthy as possible.
Do you leave the heat lamp on at night for turtles?
It can be confusing to figure out how much heat and light is appropriate for your turtle. Many turtle owners wonder if they need to keep the light on in their turtle’s tank at night. Luckily, the answer to that is no. Your turtle will be just fine if the light is turned off during night time hours.
Can you put a red-eared slider in tap water?
If you’re not sure what type of water your red-eared slider needs, look no further than the tap. Tap water is appropriate for these sliders, but only if all of the chlorine is properly taken out of it. Always take your red-eared slider’s water needs seriously.
Do red-eared sliders like to be rubbed?
Turtles are arguably the cutest of all of the reptiles. Because of this, they are often desirable pets. However, turtles don’t really enjoy being handled and petted the same way other domestic animals do. This makes petting them a little trickier.
How can you tell if a turtle is unhappy?
If you place live insects, fish, or small amphibians in their tank, a happy turtle will “hunt” them down as part of their meal. If the turtle ignores them completely, this is a sign they may be depressed or unhealthy.
Do turtles recognize their owners?
Turtles Know Their Owners! Most people don’t realize this, but many turtles recognize the sight and sounds of their owners! In fact, many owners comment how their pets swim right up to the water surface to greet them when they walk in the room.
How do I know if my red-eared slider is happy?
What Are the Signs of a Happy Turtle?
- Feeding Behavior of a Happy Turtle. A happy turtle is one that will go after their meals eagerly when it’s feeding time.
- Hunting Behavior.
- Splashing.
- Normal Bodily Functions.
- Basking.
- Comfortable With Handling.
- Playing With Toys.
- Digging.
What can I give my turtle to play with?
Toys
- Shells – Turtles love playing with empty shells.
- Rafts – Your turtle will also love it if you put a small raft or other floating objects in their tank.
- Small kid toys – Any brightly colored kid’s toy can be a fun turtle toy, as long as there aren’t any parts that can come off easily.
Should I let my red-eared slider walk around?
You should look to let your turtle walk around. This will provide them with exercise, mental stimulation, and will meet their natural inclination to explore. You can let your turtle walk around both inside and outside; so long as you prepare the area in advance and ensure it is safe.
How do I entertain my red-eared slider?
Digging and foraging never gets old for a turtle. Live fish, shrimp, insects and tadpoles*** can also keep your turtles active mentally and physically. They also double as a snack! But, a good substitute for the squeamish is to float ping-pong balls or rubber duckies.
Do red-eared sliders need a buddy?
No, red-eared sliders generally do not get lonely. Turtles are are not very social creatures, and actually prefer to keep to themselves. Most turtles prefer to be alone, away from other turtles or animals. Most turtles in the wild live pretty solitary lives except for mating season.
Can my red-eared slider hear me?
They have thin flaps of skin covering internal ear bones. The skin flaps allow vibrations and low-frequency sounds in the ear canal — so the turtles can hear to some extent, but their hearing isn’t sensitive.
What do red-eared sliders do at night?
At night they sleep underwater, usually resting on the bottom or floating on the surface, using their inflated throat as a flotation aid. Diet: These turtles are omnivorous – eating a variety of aquatic plants, insects, snails, fish, carrion and other small aquatic prey.
What is the lifespan of a red-eared slider?
30 years
Pond slider / Lifespan (In the wild)
Where Do red-eared sliders spend most of their time?
About Red-Eared Sliders
They are a semi-aquatic species meaning that they will spend much of their time in the water but not all of it and will spend a good part of their day on dry land basking.
