Plant Matter

Box turtles require vegetable matter in addition to live food, as it supplies vitamins and minerals essential to the survival of adult specimens. The following are so me recommended plant foods:

. Berries and red fruit: Colorful berries and fruit always appeal to box turtles. The animals relish strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, and blackberries, as well as red fruits such as cherries and plums.

. Other fruits: Occasionally offer small quantities of diced cantaloupe, banana, peach, apricot, and apple to your turtles.

. Vegetables and other greens: Feed various vegetables and greens to your box turtles on a regular basis. Thawed frozen mixed vegetables, roma in e lettuce, green peppers, tomatoes, broccoli heads, cauliflower, and cooked sweet and regular potatoes are all good choices. Do not feed them pale lettuce, such as iceberg, which has a very low nutritional value.

Other Foods

Some box turtles will eat soaked ZuPreem monkey chow, which is a good food source when combined with fruits and other plant matter. Some box turtles also feed on soaked dry dog food, but yo u must be sure to select a high-quality, low-fat dog food. Check the ingredient label at the back of cans to compare the fat content.

Quick Tip

ZuPreem or dog food should only make up a small part (up to 20 percent) of a varied diet.

Variety 15 Important

A box turtle may feed eagerly for weeks on strawberries, cantaloupe, and dog food, and suddenly become reluctant to feed. Simply offer some new food items to whet your turtle's appetite and it will begin to feed again. Wild box turtles take advantage of seasonal trends in plant and animal prey. Their diet in the wild thus tends to be varied. In captivity, they may become bored with a routine diet and have to be stimulated with new, juicy tidbits.

If, after being offered a variety of foods, abox turtle still refuses to feed, it is possible that it may be entering a fasting periodo In the wild, many box turtles fast during parts of the summer when the weather is unusualIy warm. Thus, a captive box turtle folIowing its internal time schedule may decide to fasto As long as your turtle has adequate weight and lives in proper environmental conditions, it will be fine during a fasting period of a few weeks. Simply continue to offer a variety of food on a regular basis, and the turtle will eventualIy resume feeding.

During hot, dry weather, turn on a sprinkler over an outdoor enclosure for short periods of time to stimulate feeding. In indoor vivaria, daily misting with a hand sprayer will accomplish the same resulto