xBapes
Active Member
So I was able to get my hands on some Red Wigglers from Petco yesterday in preparation of my new baby box turtle coming on Tuesday or Wednesday...How many should I feel him at a time and how frequently?
How many worms should I feed my baby Eastern Box Turtle?
- Thread starter xBapes
- Start date
This topic is like opening a can of, well, worms.
Some say red wrigglers are not good for box turtles, some say they are ok. Everyone seems to agree that north American night crawlers are better. I have used both and also have used super reds, which are basically European red worms, with great success. I think a wide variety of foods is the best bet. Dont feed just one type of worm or any other food for that matter. Mix it up.
As far as how many at a time, I usually feed hatchlings and juveniles as much as they will eat in one sitting and repeat again in a day or two.
There was a forum member a few months back who had a young box turtle that would eat until it regurgitated and then go back to eating again, but that is an extremely rare case. My box turtles eat until satiated and often leave some of the food uneaten.
Some say red wrigglers are not good for box turtles, some say they are ok. Everyone seems to agree that north American night crawlers are better. I have used both and also have used super reds, which are basically European red worms, with great success. I think a wide variety of foods is the best bet. Dont feed just one type of worm or any other food for that matter. Mix it up.
As far as how many at a time, I usually feed hatchlings and juveniles as much as they will eat in one sitting and repeat again in a day or two.
There was a forum member a few months back who had a young box turtle that would eat until it regurgitated and then go back to eating again, but that is an extremely rare case. My box turtles eat until satiated and often leave some of the food uneaten.
xBapes
Active Member
What about the frequency for adults?
My adult box turtles generally eat as much leafy greens, veggies, insects and pellets as they want every 2-3 days. I do control the quantity on favorite food items like horn worms though. I give them 4 or 5 adult horn worms at a time but they always beg for more.
ColleenT
Well-Known Member
i give my boxies one or two full size earthworms at a feeding. if they are looking for a second one, then i know they can eat it. I alternate their feeding with veggies and other foods as well as proteins.
I have heard that the red wigglers don't taste very good to the turtles, so they may not like those.
I have heard that the red wigglers don't taste very good to the turtles, so they may not like those.
They do smell pretty pungent. I heard that you should wash them off and place them in clean dirt before you offer them as food, to clean them out from whatever bad stuff they were raised in. I buy a couple tubs of them then take the worms out of the tubs and put them into my worm compost tub. They sort of lose their bright red color after living in the compost for a few months. The turtles eat them readily.
