Because box turtles require a varied diet that involves fruits, vegetables, and insects, their owners may ask the question “Can my box turtle overeat?”
Box turtles can and do overeat as a result of their voracious appetite and complex dietary needs. They are very susceptible to weight gain and overfeeding if not properly fed.
They can overeat—quite easily in fact. Between their voracious appetite and complex diet needs, box turtles are highly susceptible to being overfed and gaining an unhealthy amount of weight. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent weight gain, along with techniques to help the box turtle lose weight if it is already fat.
Can You Overfeed Box Turtles?
Overfeeding box turtles is surprisingly easy to do. Oftentimes, box turtles will eat whenever they have the opportunity to do so. Because of that, simply letting them eat until they are full will result in overfeeding. Also, box turtles require a highly varied diet, which may be difficult to balance. If the owner simply gives in to the box turtle’s cravings (mainly fruit and fatty insects), they will also become overfed and overweight.
How can I help my box turtle lose weight?
To start, the box turtle’s owner should ensure that they have an established feeding routine. Otherwise, they will struggle more to monitor the turtle’s food intake and may forget meals, causing them to give larger meals to compensate. Also, the owner will be more likely to not keep track of the correct food proportions for the box turtle’s diet.
If the owner has a scheduled diet but the turtle continues to be overweight, they should try to cut back on high-starch and high-calorie foods. Also, they may need to cut back feeding altogether to every other day, eventually reaching for every three days. Finally, they may want to replace some high-protein or high-sugar foods with commercial box turtle food, which tends to be less fattening (although, as a fair warning, turtles tend to favor fresh foods over this item).
Because each turtle’s metabolism is different, the owner should actively check appetite, energy levels, and weight loss/gain. Otherwise, the turtle may end up not losing weight at all, or losing weight too quickly.
Should these two other methods fail, the owner should encourage the turtle to get more exercise. They can do this by getting the turtle a larger terrarium, particularly with more room for the turtle to swim. If the owner gets a new terrarium, they should ensure that the enclosure has both good horizontal and vertical space. Although increasing the turtle’s exercise is best as a preventative measure, it can also work to help it actively lose weight if needed.
How Much Food Do Box Turtles Need?
Generally, box turtles should eat about every day, although as mentioned before, they may need to eat every other day depending on their metabolism and need to lose weight. This is often the case with adults, which eat more often than their juvenile counterparts (still eat about once a day, but need this more than adults).
Unlike most reptiles, box turtles have two feeding method options. One common technique is to simply give the turtle as much as it can eat in 15 minutes. Once done, the owner can remove the leftover food from the container. However, this may cause the turtle to have a misbalanced diet, especially since the owner will struggle more to keep track of each type of food fed, and the turtle may prefer eating one food item over the other.
If this poses a challenge, the owner may alternatively decide to feed the box turtle a set amount each day. Generally, the owner should feed the turtle three tablespoons of vegetables and a couple of insects (generally earthworms). This way, the owner can more easily plan balance among different types of foods to avoid giving the box turtle too many fattening or sugary things.
Since balance is such a crucial part of the box turtle’s diet, this is a good place to discuss it. Generally, half of a box turtle’s diet should be insects—including millipedes and earthworms—and gastropods. On occasion, the owner may provide their box turtle with meat, including chicken, fish, rabbit, and beef.
Among the other half, a box turtle should eat roughly 80-90% vegetables and 10-20% fruit. Often, they should eat mainly dark, leafy greens, along with red, orange, and yellow vegetables. Light green vegetables are low in nutritional value, so they should be avoided. Also, Swiss chard, spinach, and beet greens can cause the turtle to struggle with absorbing nutrients. Finally, the owner should avoid feeding cabbage, mustard greens, and kale altogether.
To learn if cats and turtles can get along, check out this helpful article.
Regarding fruit, box turtles love this food item because it is sweet. As a result, they can easily eat too much of it when left unchecked, so the owner should feed this item sparingly. Along with the high sugar content, fruits tend to be lower in needed nutrients.
To ensure that the box turtle has a balanced diet, the owner should also dust the turtle’s food with calcium powder, as calcium is not often naturally present in the foods offered.
For a complete breakdown of feeding crested geckos, please check out this helpful article I wrote. For a complete breakdown of feeding bearded dragons, please check out this helpful article I wrote.
Signs of an Overfed Box Turtle
Generally, an overfed box turtle will gain weight, developing a visible amount of neck fat. Also, it will often become lethargic. In extreme cases, the turtle will not even be able to retract its head back into the shell. Also, it may experience fat bulges around the armpits and back legs.
As the turtle continues to gain weight, it will also grow out of shape, struggling to walk on land or even to swim. The box turtle may also experience shell pyramiding, where the shell begins growing more than it should.
Is Overfeeding Box Turtles Bad?
Oftentimes, overfeeding results in gaining weight, which can cause serious issues for a box turtle. For instance, excessive weight can stress the turtle’s internal organs, resulting in problems such as kidney issues, liver failure, or even overall organ failure. In particular, obesity in box turtles causes strain on vital organs such as the heart, lungs, and stomach.
Also, weight gain can cause external issues such as shell deformities. Especially if it becomes sedentary due to its excessive weight gain, the turtle can be more prone to fungal and bacterial infections.
Are Box Turtles Able to Stop Eating Once full?
Technically, yes they can stop eating. However, they likely will not because they have the instinct to eat as much as possible in case their next meal isn’t for a while. Although they may stop once they are intensely full, they will likely push it, especially if they are eating sweet foods such as fruit. If their diet is left uncontrolled, they will become overweight fast. Because of this, the owner needs to restrict the turtle’s feeding.
What should I do if Box Turtle is still hungry?
Only feed within the required amount. Because of their instinct to continue eating, box turtles will continue to beg for food even when they are full. Unless the box turtle is starting to lose weight, the owner should stick to the required amount to feed each day.
If the box turtle hasn’t been fed for a couple of days, can give a little more than the required daily amount, but again should not use the turtle’s appetite level as a gauge of when to stop.
Can Being Overweight Be a Sign of Something Other Than Overfeeding?
Sometimes, turtles can more easily become overweight due to genetics. Oftentimes, they will have a stronger tendency towards shell pyramiding. If this is the case, the owner will need to cut down on the quantity of high-fat and high-sugar foods while ensuring that the box turtle is given sufficient nutrients, vitamins, and minerals (particularly calcium, as mentioned before).
Speaking of a balanced diet, the box turtle may be overweight not because of the quantity of food being eaten, but rather the types of food (fatty and sugary). If this is the case, the owner may try feeding the turtle more dry food and greens.
Finally, the turtle may be struggling with an illness. For instance, it may be dealing with bloating, a parasitical infection, or tumors. If the owner finds that the previous methods have failed, and if the turtle has other symptoms such as consistent lethargy, they should contact a vet immediately.
Dealing with Weight Loss
Although it is far less common than being overweight, box turtles can still become underweight due to diet, stress, or disease. Oftentimes, a box turtle experiences weight loss due to vitamin or nutritional deficiencies. If this is the case, the turtle will also likely become lethargic. Because of this, the owner’s first step in helping the turtle gain weight should be to find nutritional and vitamin-rich foods, along with items that have higher fat content.
Since the box turtle is a cold-blooded reptile, its digestive system can easily be impacted by overly cool temperatures. Although it is less likely to experience issues than a tropical or desert reptile, the turtle can be too cold with temperatures below 70 degrees Fahrenheit on the cool side and 75 degrees Fahrenheit on the warm side. At night, the turtle should be able to deal with temperatures as low as 60 degrees Fahrenheit without any issues.
Also, if the box turtle is experiencing stress, it may lose appetite. For instance, if the box turtle is constantly exposed to other pets, loud noises, or fellow box turtles that behave aggressively or dominantly, it will likely lose its appetite and become lethargic. Some other possible causes of stress include sudden change (such as a move), overhandling, an unsanitary environment, or a lack of hiding places.
Alternatively, the box turtle may be experiencing a bacterial infection—a phenomenon that is surprisingly common. If the box turtle is a female that has exposure to a male box turtle, it may have laid eggs, or is currently carrying them. Although there is nothing wrong with this (assuming the owner is fine with having eggs), the owner should ensure that the female box turtle has extra fat and calcium in its diet to prevent malnutrition and illness.
If the box turtle has lost a substantial amount of weight (around 10% of its body weight) for an unexplained reason, the owner should call a vet, as the turtle may be suffering from a serious illness.
Conclusion
Although box turtles are heavily prone to weight gain due to their instinct to continuously eat and their varied diet, the owner can take steps to prevent excessive weight gain or overfeeding. Sometimes, the turtle may continue to gain weight without cause. If this is the case, the owner should not hesitate to visit a vet. Even though appointments do cost money, it will be a well-worth investment for the box turtle in the long run.
However, weight gain is usually something that can be resolved at home. When paired with sufficient exercise and monitoring of the turtle’s eating habits, having a clear, well-balanced diet plan is the best way to go.
For a complete guide to how to prevent overfeeding crested geckos, please check out this helpful guide.