Can box turtles eat watermelon? The answer to this question can change depending on the type of turtle and their needs. Box turtles can eat watermelon, but it is not always a good idea.
In this article, we will discuss the benefits and harmful effects of eating watermelon for box turtles. We also learn the 5 main reasons why watermelons are loved by turtles!
In case you are in hurry and don’t have time to read this complete article. I have an on-point answer for you.
Can box turtles eat watermelon? Yes, box turtles can eat watermelon. The red, fleshy fruit of a watermelon is considered a great feast for a box turtle. The rinds are best since the watermelon seed provides an edible meal inside as well as outside if you peel off enough of the rind. Sure, there are far slimier and sometimes poisonous plants around to eat too, but the chance to bask in the sun on a warm summer’s day with all those juicy watermelon slices makes it worth putting up for box turtles.
Baby box turtles can also eat watermelon. Similar to normal turtles, there is no reason they shouldn’t be able to enjoy the sweet taste of this delicious fruit!
The only problem you might face with babies is that they are still developing their jaw muscles so it’s harder for them to eat bigger pieces.
Normal turtles can eat watermelon. Watermelons are easy to digest, even for the little guys!
The only downside is that it can cause diarrhea in some cases but this can easily be solved by feeding them less at a time or not giving them too much at once.
As long as you can get your turtle to eat it, watermelon can be a great summertime treat!
It can provide water for your box turtle on a hot day.
The high amounts of Vitamin A can prevent eye problems, support heart and bone functions, aid in reproduction/pregnancy concerns, aid teeth growth, and assist in night vision development!
Low levels of sodium can reduce risk factors associated with heart disease and can help to reduce swelling.
Watermelon has high levels of potassium, which can aid in the prevention of muscle cramps or spasms, which can be helpful to box turtles who are kept inside for extended periods at a time.
Harmful Effects Of Eating Watermelon For Box Turtles
Image Source: Made With Canva
However, there are also some harmful effects of eating watermelon for turtles which can include:
High levels of sugar can cause liver damage or make a turtle obese.
Low levels of calcium can lead to bone issues, lack of growth in hatchlings, and skeletal deformities.
There is also the chance that some pesticides were used on the watermelon before it was picked which can cause health problems.
Watermelon seeds can be a healthy snack for humans, but can they also benefit turtles?
Turtles have an incredible sense of smell and can detect seeds from far away. This may cause them to stop by your garden or yard if you plant watermelons just so that they can enjoy a nice treat.
However, there is one major drawback: too many watermelon seeds can lead to a deadly obstruction.
Turtles are not able to regurgitate anything that they eat, so if the ingested seeds cannot pass through their digestive tracts, this can be fatal.
That is one of the reasons why it can be dangerous to feed them seeds.
Yes, it can. Watermelons are healthy for all kinds of turtles and can be fed regularly to them in small portions.
Box turtles can also have the skin of a ripe piece of watermelon as long as it’s organic, pesticide-free, and not waxed/treated with any chemicals.
In fact, baby turtles can have even the seeds of watermelon as long as they are soft and cooked properly to destroy any harmful bacteria that can cause illness in them.
How To Feed Watermelon To Box Turtles?
Image Source: Made With Canva
Watermelon is one of the favorite treats for most cold-blooded pets including box turtles. As long as you know how to feed watermelon properly, it can be an excellent source of nutrients and energy.
The right way to feed watermelons to box turtles can be a little bit tricky. You can simply give your turtle the whole watermelon to eat, but certain parts of it can also make them sick or even kill them.
First of all, adult and fully-grown box turtles can easily digest large chunks of fruit including watermelons without any problems.
They will receive a great source of nutrients from watermelon that can help them to stay healthy and active.
However, there are some parts of the fruit that can be very dangerous for box turtles – including seeds, rinds, and certain types of fleshy red parts inside it. So make sure you know what to feed.
The only thing to watch for is them not eating too much of it, because box turtles can get obese and that can harm their health in the long term.
You should feed your box turtle watermelon once every week or two.
It can also be a good idea to feed it other fruits and vegetables as well, but watermelon is preferred.
Also, make sure that there are no seeds left in the fruit before feeding it to your turtle because those can cause intestinal obstruction or perforation of the intestines.
Other fruits you can feed your turtle include apples, berries (blueberries, blackberries), pears, peaches, and mangoes can be fed to your turtle in moderation.
Melons can also be given but it is best if they are cut up into small pieces so that the turtles do not choke on them or get one stuck inside their mouth where they can’t reach it easily.
Some people also feed their turtles oranges, but because of the acidity of this fruit, it can cause mouth sores and rot on your turtle’s teeth.
The vegetable you can feed your pet box turtles is lettuce, zucchini, cucumber, and carrots.
Vegetables can be given to your turtle in small amounts.
You can chop up the vegetables and feed them as part of a salad, or you can give large pieces such as cucumber slices.
You can also grate carrots and zucchini into tiny bits using a grater for easy digestion by turtles who are not used to chewing.
As with fruit, make sure you are using the correct type of vegetables. Carrots can be given, but no potatoes or tomatoes.
When giving your box turtle a vegetable for the first time, always offer just one kind at a time so it can get used to new tastes and know whether its body is able to process it properly.
If your box turtle does well with a certain vegetable, then you can continue to give it that veggie for future feedings.
Be careful not to overfeed your box turtle vegetables because this can lead to diarrhea or other complications in their digestive tract.
The foody things that can be poisonous to box turtles are:
Avocados: Can kill a turtle through the fruit’s toxic component person.
Onions and Garlic: This can cause red blood cells to rupture and can lead to anemia in turtles that eat them over time.
Chocolate: This can be fatal, especially dark or baked chocolate which has higher levels of caffeine and can cause death within 12 hours or less.
Alcohol: Can kill a turtle when enough is consumed over time and can be fatal when eaten in one sitting.
Caffeine: Can be fatal to turtles if they consume too much, especially dark chocolate which has higher levels of caffeine than milk or white chocolates.
Salt: This can cause electrolyte imbalances that can lead to death.
There are also many plants that may not necessarily kill a turtle if eaten but can make them sick or uncomfortable such as dandelions, clover, daffodils, and tulips.
Box turtles can eat watermelon, but should not be their only source of food.
It can provide vitamins to box turtle diets and is a good treat every once in a while.
Box turtles can have seeds, rinds, or fleshy parts of the watermelon as long as they are small enough for them to chew on easily.
How often can box turtles eat watermelon can vary and it can be fed as a weekly meal.
Other vegetables can also be given to boxing turtles such as collard greens, turnip greens, or dandelions which can provide more nutrients than just watermelon.
There are some fruits and veggies that should not be given to the turtle such as avocado which is poisonous to them or can cause vitamin A toxicity.
Do you feed watermelon to your pet box turtles? Do they love it? Let us know in the comment section!
