Feeding and Nutrition :: Ideas for Getting Your Turtle to Enjoy Veggies?

[mosowner]

Hello again!

Well, our first foray into leafy greens was a bit of a failure. I gave Mo a little mustard green (because I had it around), and she was totally and utterly confused. Couldn't understand why Big Hand (that's me) didn't have pellets. She kept pushing past the greens to get to my hand. So I clipped the mustard green to a veggie clip, but again, no interest.

To get an older turtle introduced to veggies, should you give the veggies to them around the same time as pellets, so they're already interested? Mo is 5 and had never had veggies before. I know she's not a RES, but the care for Southern Painteds is pretty much the same.

Thanks!

Mo's Owner
(Mo - Southern Painted turtle)

[steve]

When I used to give it to them at the same time, they would go out of their way to pick at the pellets. Now they don't care... stick with the veggie clip or even try some aquatic plants, those could stay in the tank.

[novroz]

Don't feed her her anything but veggies for a week, in the end she'll become hungry at started eating her veggie.

It worked for my baby

[bigG]

I just let them "starve" and beg for food, then I drop in some veggies. Now, my female will eat quite a bit of veggies in addition to the turtle pellets. She goes crazy for pineapple (she's goes crazy especially when she sees anything yellow, i.e., yellow markers, yellow turtle food container top, etc.).

[Ashley]

I just let them "starve" and beg for food, then I drop in some veggies. Now, my female will eat quite a bit of veggies in addition to the turtle pellets. She goes crazy for pineapple (she's goes crazy especially when she sees anything yellow, i.e., yellow markers, yellow turtle food container top, etc.).

My turtle is the same way with the colors red and orange.
He loves the ReptoTreat Suprema red pellets, strawberries, shredded carrots...anything that looks red or orange makes him go crazy!
Even once I had some shredded carrots on a plate just outside of the tank and he kept swimming against the glass toward them, even as I moved the plate.

[Ranger The Red Ear Slider]

My RES is like yours and hates vegetables. The starving and just giving him veggies for a week is a good idea, I might try that soon. Also aquatic plants are good to, When I bought my RES anacharis he loved them he hate the whole plant in a few hours.

[marisa]

If you're only going to give greens, try to make them greens that have a greater chance of being eventually accepted by your RES. Mustard greens, kale, anything that's tough or "stiff" is much less likely to be. Red-leaf lettuce, tender dandelion greens, even romaine (the greenest part, not the center vein are more likely to get a turtle to try it.