lettuce

[Yvonne G]

Yesterday a woman brought me her box turtles. She's moving into an assisted living home and isn't going to be able to take them with her. She also brought me a head of lettuce (iceburg), a little pack of chopped up carrots, a couple jars of different kind of box turtle food and some meal worms. I never use the prepared turtle food (except for trout chow), and I certainly DON'T use iceburg lettuce. My turtles only get fresh fruit and veggies, night crawlers, crickets, meal worms, occasionally canned cat food and chicken. But I will usually feed whatever people bring me, just to get rid of it.

So this a.m. I went out there and broke up the head of lettuce, sprinkled it with the carrots and dry food and topped it off with the meal worms. I went back later to see how they were doing. I never expected my turtles to eat the lettuce, but that was the first thing they went for.

My little rescued eastern (in with the new rescues from yesterday):

She's eating the lettuce like there is no tomorrow. While the turtles used to eating it are here:

in the corner, taking the sun, and not the least bit interested in lettuce.

Again...my turtles:

In case you sharp-eyed turtle keepers notice my Florida in with the 3-toes, I don't normally keep them together, however, the Florida has no females, and he climbs over the fence every day to be with the other turtles.

 

[purpod]

Hiya Yvonne ~

Nice pic's; I've had a soft spot in my heart for boxies ever since I lived in NC & they were roaming out & about everywhere's...

It 'prolly shouldn't, & yet it always does, blow my mind that peeps think iceberg lettuce is a good thing to feed tort's. I remember when I was about 11 & my God parents had a desert tort who had the entire back yard as his house. When I would come over, they would give me iceberg to feed him (her?)... thank goodness such a notion did not stick!

Anyways, congrats on your new addition to the family ~
Purpod

 

[chadk]

Purpod, if the turtle had a full yard full of weeds, grass, bugs, etc - a little treat of lettuce would be totally fine.

Yvonne - I know some folks get a little freaked out over not quarantining a new critter and letting the different species mix like that. Just think if a newbie looked at these pics: iceburg lettuce, commercial pellet food, no quaratine, and mixing species!!! What would a newbie think???

 

[TortieLuver]

Nice little rescue. That's great that people have someone to give their tortoises to when they are in need due to their circumstances. Just curious, how many torts do you have?

 

[kimber_lee_314]

My boxies won't touch lettuce! It's funny how they all have their own tastes.

 

[Yvonne G]

There are about 30 box turtles in the big habitat, then I have a smaller area where I put all the rescues for a couple months so that I can monitor them to be sure they are acclimating to living outside. If I don't find a home for them after a couple months in the small pen, I move them over to the large area.

I really was amazed that the turtles would eat that lettuce. It blew my mind. I figured that a tortoise would think he'd died and gone to heaven over iceburg lettuce, but box turtles? The three turtles that the lady brought me yesterday were given to her as babies (except for one). They look just great. You'd never know by looking at them they were raised on a diet of iceburg lettuce and mfg'd turtle food.

And yes, Chad, this post is all about feeding iceburg lettuce, carrots, pelleted turtle food, not quarantining, and mixing species. I've committed almost ALL of the sins!!

 

[terryo]

I have never tried iceburg lettuce, but none of my boxies will eat any kind of lettuce. They'll eat fruit of any kind, water turtle pellets, very little greens or veggies, and of course any kind of bug or worm. So, to get them to eat a good variety I mix soaked mazuri, greens, veggies, and fruit and that is the only way I can get them to eat anything other than bugs and worms. Chewy....we call her bratty girl...loves this mix and will finish her whole plate.