When you have pet turtles, you will know that a big part of caring for your turtle is trying to keep them healthy and a good way to do this is through the food you feed them and providing them with a nutritious diet.
All turtles are different and you will need to feed your turtle a specific diet depending on what species of turtle it is. Although some turtles will enjoy certain foods more than others, there are vitamins and minerals that are essential for all turtles, three of the most important are vitamin D3, calcium and vitamin A. So why are they important and how can I introduce them in my turtle diet?
Vitamin D3 associates well with calcium and is an aid that aids calcium absorption in the body of turtles. Naturally, in their habitats in the wild, turtles generate vitamin D3 through exposure to sunlight as they go about their daily adventures. Most people who keep pet turtles keep them indoors, so a good way to ensure your turtle receives this vital vitamin is to have a UVB lamp that provides ultraviolet light in a section of their tank for at least 8-10 hours a day. Ideally, it is much easier and cheaper to allow your tortoise to bask for 30 to 40 minutes where you would take it outside in your garden and it can be exposed to natural sunlight every two to three times a week. Those few minutes will be more than enough time to generate enough vitamin D3 compared to 8-10 hours of artificial light.
One thing to keep in mind is that tortoises aren’t used to extremely cold temperatures, so if the weather isn’t particularly hot in your area, it’s always best to stick with UVB lighting.
Calcium is extremely important for proper tortoise shell development and healthy bones in turtles. If there is a lack of calcium in the turtles diet, it can cause serious problems for both tortoises and tortoises. Aquatic turtle shells will become soft and rubbery and it is quite possible for a calcium deficient young turtle to develop deformed limbs. Land turtles, on the other hand, can suffer from pyramids, which is a condition that causes a turtle’s shell to become lumpy and form pyramidal deformations. The cause of pyramid formation is excess protein and lack of calcium in a turtle’s diet. Too much protein causes the tortoise to grow at a much faster rate than normal and this, combined with a lack of calcium, means the shell can’t expand quickly to keep up.
The best way to provide calcium to your turtle’s diet is to provide them with calcium supplements which can come in different forms. Calcium supplements for turtles usually come in powder form, but you can also use cuttlefish bones which are also used for birds and are a great way to induce calcium into your turtles diet to ensure they have good bone and shell health.
Be sure to purchase the calcium powder without phosphorous to allow your turtle to take in only calcium, which will ensure that your turtle does not throw its calcium to phosphorous ratio out of balance.
Vitamin A is important for your turtle’s skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. Vitamin A deficiency in a tortoise’s diet often causes tortoises to lose their appetite, puffy eyes, and a runny nose. All of these symptoms point to a condition known as hypovitaminosis A in turtles. A good way to provide your turtle with vitamin A is to feed it foods rich in this vitamin and this will be a good way for it to get enough of it that it needs.
These foods are:
*Dark green leafy vegetables such as kale, mustard greens, collard greens, and parsley.
*yellow, orange vegetables such as carrots and sweet potatoes
*Cod Liver Oil – Simply drizzle some on your food before giving it to them.