What Do You Feed a Baby Painted Turtle?

Painted turtles are hardy freshwater turtles. Their bright colors and solid disposition have made them popular pets for young and old. But they have a wide range of specific dietary requirements if they're going to stay healthy in captivity.

  1. The Facts

    • Painted turtles are freshwater turtles that can live for up to 25 years. As babies, they are around 4 inches in length, but they can grow to be more than 9 inches. They are dark green and have vivid splashes of yellow and red on their heads, bellies and tips. These turtles should be kept in aquariums that give them an environment of half water and half land.

    Geography

    • Painted turtles are widely spread through the continental United States. They live most often in the Eastern states, in both the sandy bottoms and the banks of marshes, ponds, lakes, rivers and creeks.

    Wild Diet

    • Painted turtles are omnivores, which means that they exist on meat for the most part, with an addition of occasional vegetables and plants. Wild turtles eat fish, insects, plants, fruit and whatever carrion they come across.

    Domestic Diet

    • When painted turtles are kept as pets, the majority of their diet is made up of turtle pellets, which are manufactured to meet most of an omnivorous turtle's nutritional needs. They also receive crickets, mealworms, minnows and red worms. When a painted turtle is very young, it's important that it only receive small insects and worms, so that it is able to eat them without stress.

    Vegetables and Vitamins

    • Painted turtles are also fed vegetables like red- and green-leaf lettuces. These vegetables should be dusted once a week with a commercial turtle vitamin powder, which provides the vitamins and minerals necessary for shell growth and healthy. This is especially important in the first four years of a turtle's life, when it is growing to its full length and needs the nutrition for building shell and bone matter.