Most chelonian parents worry about the diet of their pet babies.
But, if you were to observe a turtle, tortoise, or even a terrapin, you’ll realize that these little buggers eat almost anything that comes their way.
You see, the majority of turtles are omnivorous, meaning they keep a plant-based diet, and they love their meat too.
So the answer to the question – Can turtles eat mushrooms is..
Turtles do eat mushrooms. If you think that turtles won’t enjoy eating mushrooms, then you couldn’t be more wrong. Turtles seem to enjoy eating most kinds of fungi, such as toadstools, mushrooms, or truffles. But, then turtles aren’t very discerning in their food choices.
So, let’s investigate the kind of mushrooms your slider baby can have and the kind of fungi that your pet turtle needs to stay away from to stay healthy.
Here’s what you’re going to discover in this article
- What kind of mushrooms do box turtles eat?
- What are the benefits of mushrooms to your little buddy
- How to feed your turtle mushrooms?
- What you should never feed your turtle
Plenty of interesting topics to talk about
Sound good?
Let’s dive in
What Kind of Mushrooms Do Box Turtles Eat?
There are over 50 000 mushroom species, including yeasts and mold.
Only 1-2% of those are poisonous, many are hallucinogenic, and various are used for their medicinal properties.
Out of the 50,000 species of mushroom, only 20-50 are truly edible as many of the other varieties may be foul-smelling, gelatinous, tough, woody, or taste bad.
Now, when it comes to your turtle, they aren’t connoisseurs of good food.
Many animal experts have witnessed turtles eat poisonous mushrooms without suffering from any ill effects.
But, who wants to risk the precious life of their adorable pet?
I’m sure you wouldn’t!
So, you need to go with organic mushrooms, so your turtle doesn’t suffer from any pesticide or chemical poisoning.
You can choose from a huge variety, everything from the generic button mushrooms to shitake mushrooms.
Okay so that we know your turtle can eat mushrooms and which is one best
Let’s look at what the benefits are to your little buddy
Carry on reading..
What Are The Benefits Of Mushrooms For Your Turtle?
Mushrooms may be fungi but don’t for a moment believe that there are no health benefits of consuming mushrooms.
And, yes, your turtle benefits from the mushroom as much.
Let’s take a look at some of the advantages of eating mushrooms.
Protein
Mushrooms are full of protein, and as you must know, your turtle needs plenty of protein too.
Mushrooms in your turtle’s diet will provide it with protein as well as the variety it needs to enjoy its daily meals.
Low Caloric Count
Turtles are prone to obesity, and they do love to eat. So an occasional snack of mushrooms will help you keep your chelonians tummy full and weight down.
Vitamin D
Mushrooms are a great source of Vitamin D, which do wonders for your turtle’s immunity and bone development.
Potassium
Many world-renowned vets claim that the essential mineral for your turtle is potassium.
And, yes, mushrooms have plenty of potassium in them as well.
Antioxidants
Mushrooms are laden with antioxidants to help prevent blood pressure, cancer, and stress oxidation.
As you can see there are plenty of healthy benefits that a mushroom has for your turtle
Now you may be wondering..
How To Feed Your Turtle Mushrooms?
Mushrooms do have various health benefits.
Yet, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.
So, if you want to provide your turtle with variety in its meals and want to ensure that your turtle has wholesome and nutritious food, feed it mushrooms.
So, feeding mushrooms to your turtle once a week would serve your turtle well.
Now, It’s wise to avoid picking mushrooms out from the wild.
If you do not want your pet to suffer from any ill consequences, you should only use store-bought mushrooms.
And it is wise to stick with organic produce.
But, if your pet seems to disregard its mushroom meal completely, remember there are other kinds of mushrooms that your pet may appreciate.
Button mushrooms are a general favorite with turtles.
You could try out the puffballs, oyster, or chanterelle mushrooms too.
Conclusion
Indeed, turtles won’t wag their tails seeing your face, jump up and down and run towards to hug you.
But, there is no doubt that turtles make fantastic pets.
They are amazing to observe and extremely low-maintenance.
All you need to keep in mind when you care for turtles is to provide a clean and safe habitat.
And, it would help if you offered a healthy and wholesome diet to ensure that your pet stays around for a long time.
Mushrooms have plenty of health benefits for your turtles
So you should give it to your little buddy
Not everyday though, once a week should be okay
Always talk to the vets before you give your turtle any new food in their diet
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What Should You Never Feed Your Turtle?
Yes, it is a fact that turtles will gobble up pretty much anything without thinking twice.
But, it is your job as a pet parent to ensure that your tiny companion stays healthy and lives longer.
So, here’s a list of things that should never be a part of your turtle’s meal.
- Salty Foods: Turtles do not do well with too much sodium in their systems. They have weak kidneys, and that’s one of the first things that malfunctions when your turtle gets a dose of salt. Also, excessive sodium in the body will prompt water retention, dehydration, and fluctuations in blood sugar levels.
- Processed Human Food: Your turtle does have the same digestive system as you. Hence, it will be unable to ingest human food. Not to mention, the additives and preservatives in human food make it wholly unhealthy for your pet turtle.
- Sugar: Another ingredient found in most human foods that is simply bad for your turtle. You may know that your turtle is prone to obesity, but too much sugar in your turtles will even cause cancer.
- Tomato leaves, rhubarb leaves, and potato leaves are a definite no-no
- Avocado: avocado leaves, pits, and skins are laden with persin that is toxic enough to kill your little friend.
