Feeding and Nutrition :: Yams and Bananas....

[nomimalone1978]

Okay, first off, let me say how pleased I am at how much he likes the yams and bananas!! He was picky with the lettuce and I thought that he was just getting used to it, but lo and behold, he just doesn't like it as much as other vegetables.

So with the bananas, it says on the sticky to limit it to once a month. Is that due to their high fiber content? Potassium? Too much sugar?

And with the baked yam bits, is he good to go for those every day or every other day in addition to his pellet diet?

And last but not least, his sight is really good but his peripheral is not. So if I am feeding him food that sinks, i.e. yams, I may let a couple small pieces sink for him to work on and then I will put the rest of his diet on his dock. When he goes to bask, he finds it and knocks it into the water and eats and then returns to basking. (That's just my cute turtle habit that's kinda fun to watch. He is starting to catch on and sneak to the dock and peer onto it looking for veggies.)

[marisa]

My turtles like lightly-steamed yams/sweet potatoes and they get cut-up pieces occasionally, which I think averages out to about every two weeks, given other foods that they get and what's available in the fridge. They're a source of beta carotene, which is good. I wouldn't give them as frequently as you're thinking of, though. If he like them that much, you're going to have trouble getting him to try new foods, which he should have to maintain balance in the diet.

As for the bananas, most turtles love them, but they're very high in phosphorus, which turtles get a lot of in the diet already. Too much phosphorus will affect the calcium he gets in his diet, which he needs for his bones and shell. My turtles get a few small slivers very rarely, and I really can't remember the last time I gave them any.

[nomimalone1978]

Thanks for the info, Marisa! I really appreciate it.

[tissigirl]

I was eating a banana last night, so I thought i'd give Mr. Turtle a piece just to see if he liked it. He ate it (because he's a pig) but didn't go nuts over it like he does strawberries or grapes. It's like he knows what's better for him!