Why is my red-eared slider not eating pellets?
It’s pretty normal for baby red-eared slider turtles to stop eating if they changed their usual environment. If you just bought your turtle, there is nothing you need to worry about. It’s probably stressed out. Once it gets accustomed to its new home, it will start to eat again.
What do you do if your turtle won’t eat pellets?
Crush the pellets and mix them with some live food to get your turtle to eat. You can also soak the pellets in canned tuna water to give the pellets a stronger, more enticing smell. You can also soak the pellets in fruit juice or a non-caffeinated sport’s drink to encourage your turtle to eat.
Why do red eared sliders not eat vegetables?
The first possibility is that your turtle is too young. It’s not uncommon for baby and juvenile red eared sliders to not eat vegetables. When they are at those life stages they are growing a lot faster than adult red eared sliders, and to grow this fast they need a lot of protein that they get from meat.
What kind of food can a red ear slider turtle eat?
Insects such as crickets, flies and some bugs are good choices for a start. Smaller live feeder fish are also a great choice if your turtle is big enough to consume them. However, you never depend on one source of food. Mix it with regular commercial prepared food.
What happens if you leave a red ear slider turtle in a cold environment?
Never leave your baby red eared sliders in a cold environment for a prolonged period. For adult turtles, that are fully developed, it won’t cause any significant problems. On the contrary, baby turtles will stop eating and will postpone their growth.
Why do red eared sliders eat so much meat?
Baby red eared sliders will eat more meat not because they like it more than they like fruits or vegetables, but because they need it to grow faster. So more or less they have to eat meat, since plants won’t help them too much.
Can a red eared slider turtle eat vegetables?
It’s not uncommon for baby and juvenile Red Eared Slider turtles to not eat vegetables. When they are at those life stages they are growing a lot faster than adult Red Eared Slider turtles, and to grow this fast they need a lot of protein that they get from meat. So eating vegetables or anything else won’t do them any good.
What’s the difference between a baby and an adult red eared slider?
Baby red eared sliders eat the same things as adult red eared sliders. The only difference is that baby and juvenile turtles prefer to eat more meat than adult turtles. Even if they are omnivorous as a species, babies and juveniles are basically carnivorous.
How often should you feed a baby red eared slider?
Adults and babies eat the same food items, but the ratio of meat to plant and feeding frequency is different. Baby red eared sliders are voracious eaters and should be fed every day. A major difference between adult and baby red eared sliders is their diet: Adults eat primarily a 50/50 balance of plants to meat.
