Common Snapping Turtle Diet

Wild Snapping Turtles' Diet

• Snapping turtles found in the wild will eat almost anything they can find. They often are found eating invertebrates, different types of fish, birds, carrion, smaller mammals, amphibians and even plants found in the water. Snapping turtles might also try to eat one another, although this is rare and is usually caused by the turtle being territorial or very hungry.

Pet Snapping Turtles' Diet

• Pet snapping turtles' basic diet should consist of aquatic turtle food, such as floating pellets. They can also be fed live food such as night crawlers, crickets, meal worms and minnows to round out their intake.

Health

• Make sure your snapping turtle is healthy by monitoring its intake of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin D3, B1 and calcium, many of which can be found in turtle pellets, according to the website Turtle Homes. The snapping turtle's diet should also include as much live food as possible, as explained in Section 2.

Feeding Schedule

• Snapping turtle hatchlings should be fed every day and given as much as they will eat. This constant feeding will help increase the strength of their shell. Mature snapping turtles should be fed once every two to three days. Don't feed a turtle if it isn't interested in eating. It is important that a snapping turtle be kept in shape and not overfed, because if it is being kept in an aquarium, it probably isn't getting very much exercise.

People Food

• You can feed your snapping turtle cooked chicken and meats, but avoid raw or fatty proteins. Raw meats can carry salmonella, which can make the turtle sick. It's a good idea to give your snapper plant produce, because things like lettuce leaves and corn husks contain plenty of vitamins and minerals.