Essay on What Tortoises eat vs what turtles Eat?

What tortoise and turtles eat is definitely an interesting question for you if you are an animal lover or want to keep tortoises as a pet at your home. Read the article to grab understanding about the diet and food of tortoises and turtles as well as eating patterns of top 5 species from turtles and tortoises.    

How often do they have to eat?

To feed your tortoise it is important to know for you that tortoise eats regular food items on a daily basis. However, tortoise also requires fruits and energy powders such as vitamin D3 and calcium on a weekly basis. You can provide vitamin D3 and calcium at least 3 times in 6-7 days duration. Moreover, you also need to provide them with fruits as tortoise love to eat fresh fruits. Fruits can be given to them on every 3^rd or 4^th feeding. Excluding this daily meal may include Alfalfa hay and timothy with packed food of tortoises (available at local stores). Opposite to tortoises, the turtle is real food lovers. Turtles want frequent feeding. They want daily feeding at least three times a day. If you are interested to have a baby turtle as a pet it would be a genuine problem for your budget. Turtles want fruits, supplements, vegetables, and insects. Although, turtles sometimes eat more than a normal diet. Thus, obesity and hepatic lipidosis are common health issues in turtles who are kept as a pet at home. To keep your pet safe from these health issues you should follow up a normal diet routine. Turtle’s normal diet includes hatchlings and juveniles on a daily basis. Adult turtles should be served with vegetables and fruits three times a day. While baby turtles can be served with a smaller meal.                

Top 5 Species of Tortoises and Turtles that eat the most

Around 356 species of turtles are living in this world. Similar to this species of tortoises are also spread over the world with a different ratio. These turtles and tortoises have different eating and feeding patterns. Some turtles and tortoises belong to the species which are famous for their eating and feeding behaviour. Here top 5 species are presented for tortoises and turtles that eat the most:

1)      Leatherback sea Turtle

Leatherback sea turtles live in at seasides. These are commonly available in China in different small and large sizes. Leatherback sea turtles’ weight from 600 to 1500 lbs (around 272 to 680 kilograms). Their weight is the evidence of their heavy diet. Leatherback sea turtles eat small fish, vegetables, insects, and plants. Their jaw is enough strong and large to hold onto squishy prey and pierce it. Leatherback sea turtle's favourite food item is fresh jellyfish.       

2)      Land Dwelling Turtles

Land Dwelling tortoises are also food lovers. Land Dwelling tortoises can eat bones and flesh of sea animals, therefore, they are also considered as dangerous sea turtles for the human being. Land Dwelling tortoises usually eat jellyfish, grass, fruits, beetles, and algae. You will find it interesting to know that food lover Land Dwelling tortoises can eat everything from squid to algae. Land Dwelling tortoises are also sub-classified as carnivores, amniotes, and herbivores, therefore, their favourite food items vary from each other.          

3)      Red Eared Slider

Red-eared sliders eat too much food on a daily basis. The average weight of an adult Red-eared sliders can be around 240 gram. But what they eat it depends upon the environment they live in. Red-eared sliders kept at home as a pet usually eat supplements, vegetables, fruits, and insects. Although, Red eared sliders living at river or seaside eat small fish and soft-shell species. Red eared sliders also eat crayfish and mollusks in daily food.      

4)      Aldabra Giant Tortoise

Aldabra Giant Tortoise average recorded weight is 250 kilogram (or 550 lb). Aldabra Giant Tortoise is famous for extremely foody nature. Aldabra Giant Tortoise is by nature herbivores. On a daily basis, they eat woody stems, leaves, and grass.   

5)      Snapping Turtles

Snapping turtles are 30 cm long turtles with 10 kilogram weight. Snapping turtles weight is relatively less than the weight of other turtles presented above. They are omnivores and eat small animals, worms, insects, and birds.