What Do Box Turtles Eat? Everything New Owners Should Know

If you’ve just brought home your first box turtle, you might wonder what box turtles what. They are TortoiseOwner.com omnivores, which means they will eat a variety of both animal and plant-based foods. The proportions of animal versus plant-based food items will depend on both the age and the species of box turtle that you are feeding. Generally, hatchlings and juvenile box turtles are more carnivorous than adults, who are typically more herbivorous.

Learn all about what box turtles eat so you can feed your pet the right diet for their unique needs.

How Often Do You Feed a Box Turtle?
An adult box turtle may eat every other day, while younger box turtles need to eat every day, and hatchlings need to eat two times a day. Talk to a veterinarian who can guide your individual turtle’s dietary needs, including how much they should be eating and how often they should be fed.

Importance of Calcium and Phosphorus Balance

Particular attention should be paid to the calcium and phosphorus balance in the items in the diet to prevent metabolic bone disease.1 Aim for at least a 1.5:1 ratio of calcium to phosphorus (2:1 is better). However, the importance of this ratio in each item is not as important as the overall balance.

Feeding a wide variety of items, with an emphasis on those items with a good calcium-to-phosphorus ratio, is the best way to maintain a healthy diet. Referring to a calcium-to-phosphorus ratio table of vegetables and fruits makes it easy to know what the ratios are in what you are feeding.

The items with a calcium greater than 1.0 are those which have a good ratio and should be emphasized in the diet. As an example, bananas (a favorite of many turtles) have a ratio of 0.3:1 (which is low) so this means they should be fed in moderation.

Vegetables and Fruits to Feed to Box Turtles
A wide variety of fruits and vegetables should be offered to your box turtle daily to provide a balanced diet. The following list is a variety of fruits and vegetables (listed in no particular order, along with their calcium-to-phosphorus ratio) that have good calcium-to-phosphorus ratios and are suitable for box turtles to have included in their diets.

Dark leafy greens, such as collard greens (14.5:1), parsley (3.3:1), endive (1.7:1), dandelion greens (3.3:1), beet tops (2.5:1), spinach (2:1), and kale (2.5:1). (Be aware of the oxalates in the types of greens you are feeding since foods high in oxalates can bind calcium in your box turtle, making feeding them counterproductive.)

Chinese cabbage (3.3:1) and cabbage (2.5:1)
Green beans (1.3:1)
Blackberries (1.7:1)
Raspberries (1.8:1)
Grapes (1.4:1)
Apples (with skin but not seeds) (1.1:1)
Papaya (5:1)
Butternut squash (1.0:1)

Romaine lettuce (0.8:1) (But it is not very nutritionally dense and can cause diarrhea, so limit the amount you feed.)
Other vegetables and fruits are acceptable to include in the diet but should not make up the bulk of the daily meals.