Choosing a Herp Vet Small Animals Small Animal Diseases Rabbit Medicine Pocket Pets Margaret A. Wissman, D.V.M., Diplomate, ABVP, Avian Practice Bill Parsons, M.S. Nutrition of Turtles and Tortoises Turtles, tortoises and terrapins are all in the group known as chelonians . They all possess a shell. The term tortoise is usually used to refer to terrestrial turtles in the United States, but we do have a few that stay predominately on the land, but are referred to as turtles , for example, the box turtle and the North American wood turtle. As they are such a diverse group of animals, it would be expected that the different species would have widely diverse diets. Green sea turtles are largely vegetarian and consume primarily see grasses, and the other sea turtles are mainly carnivorous, feeding on jellyfish, crabs, sea urchins, fish, sponges and barnacles.
Some land tortoises are vegetarian, and spend their days grazing and foraging.
Box turtles eat a little bit of everything encountered, and they are considered omnivores, meaning that they consume lots of bugs and worms, as well as plant material. Water turtles begin life as meat eaters and as they mature, they begin to consume more and more plant material. Correctly feeding your pet turtle or tortoise begins with knowing exactly what kind of chelonian you actually have. If you are unsure as to what kind of turtle or tortoise you actually own, check in an atlas, or ask a knowledgeable herper or breeder to help you in the proper identification. Once you know what type of chelonian that you have, feeding it becomes a lot easier.