Plant Foods for Your Box Turtle
About half of your box turtle's diet should be plant-based foods. About 40% of the plant matter should be vegetables, and 20% each fruits, greens and fungi. No, fungi aren't really plants, but they're included here for ease of explanation.
Vegetables for Your Box Turtle
Most vegetables are suitable for box turtles, but some are better than others. Squash is always a good choice, and just about any kind with do—acorn, butternut, yellow, pumpkin, etc. Zucchini, too (no, your turtle will never eat enough zucchini to help you get rid of that bumper crop every year, but he'll still enjoy helping). When feeding summer squash, keep in mind that the rinds are more nutritious than the flesh. For winter squash, shred and lightly steam them to make them easier to eat.
Other good vegetable choice include:
- Bell peppers
- Carrots—shred them first
- Green beans
- Okra
- Cactus pad and fruit—make sure you get rid of all the spines!
- Sweet potatoes—cook and shred, or grate first and then microwave briefly
- Potatoes
Other vegetables are less nutritious but can still be a part of your turtle's varied diet:
- Corn
- Tomatoes
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Beets
Leafy Greens for Your Box Turtle
Whatever greens you use for yourself are also appropriate for your turtle. Again, though, some greensare more nutritious than others, especially when it comes to lettuce. Romaine is probably one of the best choices of lettuce. Bibb, escarole and red leaf lettuces are also good once in a while.
Avoid giving your turtle too much iceberg lettuce, because it really doesn't have much nutritional value, and you don't want to fill her up on something without enough vitamins and minerals. It does have a high water content, so it can be useful as a sort of "drink," especially on hot days or if your indoor turtle doesn't have water available 24/7. (Do note that if you're not providing water constantly, you should still give it regularly, both for drinking and bathing.)
Other good greens include:
- Clover (be aware that clover growing in warm climates might contain cyanide, while plants growing in cold climates should be safe)
- Collard
- Dandelion
- Mustard
- Turnip
- Watercress
Kale and spinach are also nutritious, but in limited quantities.
If you don't eat a lot of greens yourself, you can also collect weeds and leaves from your yard, as long as they have not been treated with pesticides
Fresh vegetables are best, when possible, but frozen vegetables are find too. If you're cooking frozen veggies for yourself, save a tablespoon or so for your turtle. Let them cool before serving!
Fruits for Your Box Turtle
Box turtles love their sweet fruit! Many will have a favorite, just like humans, and often that is berries. See what your pet thinks about strawberries, raspberries, cranberries and blackberries. Consider planting berries in his enclosure, if you have room.
Remember that just because he loves fruit, that doesn't mean he should have too much of it. For most feedings, mix it with vegetables and/or protein, although a treat o fjust fruit once in a while is fine, too.
Try these:
- Apples
- Apricots
- Bananas
- Figs
- Grapes
- Kiwis
- Melons
- Peaches
- Plums
Fungi for Your Box Turtle
Box turtles can eat any mushrooms, from Chanterelles to Morels and Puffballs. The easiest thing to do, if you eat mushrooms yourself, is just to share yours with your turtle. If you don't eat mushrooms, then at least buy him some button mushrooms (the common ones at the grocery store) once in a while.
As you can see, as long as you eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, it's pretty easy to keep your box turtle's diet varied, too.