What do turtles eat?

The right diet for your turtle depends on their size, species, age, habitat, and other details. 

What to feed them. Generally, pet turtles are omnivores, meaning that they eat both meat and plants. A typical adult pet turtle diet should include animal products, vegetables, and fruits. Younger turtles between about 7 to 10 years old usually need a larger share of animal-sourced foods. The percentage of animal and vegetable foods your pet turtle needs depends on their species.

Animal food sources. Animal-based food sources for turtles can include processed pet foods like drained sardines, turtle pellets, and trout chow. You can also feed them cooked chicken, beef, and turkey. Live prey can include moths, crickets, shrimp, krill, feeder fish, and worms. Make sure you get insects from a pet store or undeveloped field, or raise them yourself, to ensure quality and safety.

Plant food sources. Plant-based food sources for your pet turtle should mostly be leafy greens like collards, dandelions, and mustard greens. Some of these vegetables, such as chives, parsley, and spinach, contain high levels of chemicals called oxalates, which you should avoid.

Fruits can include apples, cantaloupe, bananas, berries, and mangoes. You can also feed them non-toxic aquatic plants like water hyacinth, water lettuce, and duckweed.