Spotted Turtle Diet

The spotted turtle can be found on the Atlantic coast of the United States and make great pets for reptile lovers. They are small, semi-aquatic turtles that eat a fairly varied diet and are easy to take care of.

  1. Commercial Food

    • Spotted turtles can eat the commercial turtle food that is found in most pet stores. The infant turtles may not eat this food right away, so it may be best to have an older turtle in the aquarium that is less "picky" to eat the food so that the smaller turtles will warm up to the food. These turtles can also eat plants like algae or water lily seeds.

    Worms, Bugs and Mammals

    • Spotted turtles also eat chopped earthworms as well as red worms. The turtles, especially neonates, will consume small crickets as well. These foods provide spotted turtles with the necessary amounts of protein for brain and body development. Mice and fish are also acceptable for spotted turtles to eat; pink mice are a meal of choice for spotted turtles, and some pet owners also feed their spotted turtles pre-killed mice. Frozen fish can be consumed by spotted turtles as well.

    Meal Times

    • Pet owners should only give spotted turtles as much as they can eat in about 15 to 20 minutes. This will help to ensure that the turtle's digestive system is not overwhelmed and will keep the food from going bad. Infant turtles need to be fed several times each day, but adult turtles should only receive food every two or three days. Also, if female spotted turtles are fed a protein-rich meal each time they are fed, they are able to breed much more efficiently, producing more eggs and healthier infant turtles.

    Male Turtles

    • Male spotted turtles tend to eat more than their female counterparts. When turtles are ready to mate, it's a good idea to keep male turtles away from female turtles during feeding time, since the male turtle's pursuit may cause the female to refuse to eat---some female turtles may also end up drowning due to the male turtle's aggression. Keeping the male turtle out of the aquarium until it is time to breed may help to alleviate this problem.

    Female Turtles

    • The female turtle should consume a diet of trout chow and fish while carrying the eggs. A separate nesting site should also be created for the female turtle to ensure that none of the food will be taken by the other turtles. Moist sand placed in a shoebox can provide an ideal nesting place, and the right nutrition can help a female turtle to produce up to eight healthy eggs at a time.