My turtle(western painted) won't respond to me tricking him into eating vegetables

[Miko44]

Painted turtles are primarily carnivorous/insectivorous if available at all. They certainly will eat plants when other foods are not available. I never specifically feed mine plants/lettuce, etc. I raise my turtles on good commercial turtle and koi pellets. As babies they get blood worms and mealworms as treats. But for the most of their lives, they live on pellets. I have at least 5 generations of painted turtles in my pond raised and living on pellets. If your painted turtle is eating a good commercial pellet, don't worry about the "veggies"!

I just researched that he needs a price of lettuce the size of his shell every day. Thanks

 

[Markw84]

I just researched that he needs a price of lettuce the size of his shell every day. Thanks

I'm saying I have found through experience that he does not. Lot's of old out-dated info is out there when you "research" that people simply continue to repeat because they heard it before.

 

[Miko44]

I'm saying I have found through experience that he does not. Lot's of old out-dated info is out there when you "research" that people simply continue to repeat because they heard it before.

Oh ok. Can he have lettuce every day though. ?

 

[Lyn W]

Oh ok. Can he have lettuce every day though. ?

Mark is a very experienced keeper of torts and turtles so I would follow his advice.

 

[Miko44]

Mark is a very experienced keeper of torts and turtles so I would follow his advice.

Ok I was just wondering if he could have lettuce or duckweed every day if he wanted it. I just thought it would be boring to eat the same thing everyday. He seems to really like meal time and I wouldn't want to spoil that for him. ?

 

[Markw84]

Ok I was just wondering if he could have lettuce or duckweed every day if he wanted it. I just thought it would be boring to eat the same thing everyday. He seems to really like meal time and I wouldn't want to spoil that for him. ?

I thought the whole question of the post was that you couldn't get him to eat plant matter?? So my reply is that you don't need to worry about getting him to eat veggies if eating a good pellet. There is plenty of everything they need in the pelleted food. If he is eating some lettuce or "veggies" that is absolutely fine, Most painted turtles don't really like it, but will nibble on plants in a pond.

 

[Miko44]

I thought the whole question of the post was that you couldn't get him to eat plant matter?? So my reply is that you don't need to worry about getting him to eat veggies if eating a good pellet. There is plenty of everything they need in the pelleted food. If he is eating some lettuce or "veggies" that is absolutely fine, Most painted turtles don't really like it, but will nibble on plants in a pond.

Ah ok. I just thought tin the wild they ate plants because catching fish is hard. Also my turtle is kinda slow and we found him outside. I thought maybe he ate plants when he lived outside.