How to Hand-Feed a Long-Neck Turtle in Captivity

The aptly named eastern long-neck turtle (Chelodina longicollis) is a carnivorous reptile that's native to Australia. Easily recognizable by its unusually long, slender neck and featureless black shell, this type of turtle feeds on a varied diet of whole fish, prawns, insects and other meats rich in vitamin D. Take proper care to feed your long-neck turtle a nutritious diet of various types of meats, at the recommended intervals, to maintain its good health.

Instructions

    • 1

      Prepare your turtle's meal. Feed it a variety of whitebait, prawns, large worms and other insects. If the food has been in the freezer, bring it to room temperature before feeding it to your turtle; never give your turtle food that's still frozen.

    • 2

      Cut the food into small bits. Generally, a single piece of food should be no wider than your turtle's mouth. Each meal should be about the size of your turtle's head.

    • 3

      Place the meal into the aquarium. Long-neck turtles prefer to feed in water, so place the food there. The water temperature must be kept at around 25°C (77°F) or it will be too cold for your turtle to comfortably feed in.

    • 4

      Wait about an hour then remove any uneaten food from the aquarium. Do not let leftovers sit in the water.