How to Feed Hatchling Painted Turtles

Painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) are common pond turtles native to the United States, Canada and Northern Mexico. Extremely popular in the pet trade, all four subspecies of painted turtles--Eastern painted turtles, Midland painted turtles, Southern painted turtles and Western painted turtles--are commonly kept by reptile enthusiasts and are considered good "beginner turtles" because they are hardy, relatively easy to care for in captivity and have wide-ranging omnivorous diets, with a preference for insects as hatchlings.

Things You'll Need

  • Earthworms
  • Meal worms
  • Blood worms
  • Fish
  • Crickets
  • Commercial aquatic turtle food
  • Nutrient-rich vegetables
  • Aquatic plants
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Know the diet. Offer your baby painted turtle a variety of live foods it will readily consume, such as earthworms, meal worms, blood worms, fish and crickets. Supplement its diet with high quality commercial turtle foods such as Mazuri and ReptoMin. Provide your hatchling turtle access to varied vegetables, including spinach, mustard greens, turnip greens, kale, romaine lettuce, dandelion, carrots, zucchini, squash and any aquatic plants (e.g., duckweed, water hyacinth, water lettuce and water lilies), but be mindful that baby painted turtles may not consistently eat vegetables until they are older.

    • 2

      Prevent calcium deficiencies. Chelonia.org suggests supplementing your painted turtle's diet with additional calcium, which you can provide by keeping a cuttlefish bone in your turtle's captive habitat. Painted turtles require daily access to a basking spot, with UVB lighting. According to austinsturtlepage.com, so long as you provide your hatchling turtle with UVB lighting, you do not need to supplement its diet with vitamin D3.

    • 3

      Follow a feeding schedule. According to austinsturtlepage.com, you should feed your baby painted turtle commercial turtle pellets or live food such as fish or earthworms once daily during the first 6 months of its life. Offer your pet turtle vegetables and leafy greens daily, which allows your turtle to graze as much as it wants, though hatchling turtles may not consume much plant matter. As your baby painted turtle grows, adjust its diet composition (e.g., adults need more vegetables and less protein) and feeding schedule accordingly.

    • 4

      Avoid overfeeding your turtle. Overfed turtles are prone to shell deformities known as pyramiding, and too much high-protein food is thought too be harmful to a turtles' liver and kidneys.