Introduction
The three-toed box turtle ( Terrapene carolina triunguis) is a fascinating subspecies of the eastern box turtle, known for its terrestrial lifestyle and distinctive appearance. Native to the central United States, these turtles are omnivores with specific dietary needs that must be met both in the wild and in captivity. This article provides a detailed overview of the three-toed box turtle's diet, covering everything from their natural food sources to creating a balanced diet for pet turtles.
Physical Characteristics and Habitat
The three-toed box turtle is a relatively small turtle with a high, domed shell. Most have a thin ridge on the centerline of the carapace. The plastron, which has anterior and posterior hinges, can close completely, allowing the turtle to hide its entire body inside. They have short limbs without webbing between their toes.
Adults are generally a uniform drab brown, while juveniles often have light-colored (yellowish) spots near the center of each major scute on the carapace. However, some adults retain radiating light-colored lines on the carapace. The plastron is usually lighter in coloration and unmarked, shorter than the carapace. Heads of adult males and females are often brightly colored with a combination of white, orange, or red. Males usually have red eyes, while females usually have brown eyes.
Three-toed box turtles can reach just over six and one-half inches in carapace length, with adult males slightly smaller than adult females. They are found in most of the eastern half of Oklahoma, with their distribution extending west to east from central Oklahoma up nearly the entire eastern seaboard. They generally prefer moist habitats such as hardwood forests and sometimes swampy areas.
Natural Diet in the Wild
Three-toed box turtles are diurnal, active from early spring (April) through late fall (October). They eat a wide variety of food items, including insects, insect larvae, earthworms, carrion, fruits, and other vegetation. As these turtles age, vegetation and fruits become more important in their diets compared with juveniles.
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At Garden State Tortoise (GST), box turtles from around the globe are housed, including North American species like Eastern, Florida, Gulf Coast, Ornate, Dessert, and Three-toed box turtles. Chris at GST creates natural environments to encourage foraging and instinctual behaviors, supplementing their diet with earthworms, wild strawberries, blueberries, mushrooms, frogs, flowers, and occasionally greens.
Nutritional Needs and Dietary Components
As omnivores, three-toed box turtles require a balanced diet consisting of both animal and plant matter. A good rule of thumb is to aim for a diet that is roughly 50% animal matter and 50% plant matter.
Animal Matter
Protein-rich foods are essential for the growth and maintenance of three-toed box turtles. Here are some appropriate options:
- Black soldier fly larvae
- Chicks (pre-killed)
- Crayfish
- Darkling beetles
- Discoid roaches
- Dubia roaches
- Earthworms
- Egg (cooked)
- Grasshoppers/locusts
- Hornworms
- Isopods
- Mice (pre-killed)
- Mealworms
- Millipedes
- Quail chicks (pre-killed)
- Silkworms
- Snails (captive-bred only)
- Superworms
Plant Matter
Plant matter provides essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Here are some suitable options:
- Apples
- Apricots
- Arugula
- Bananas
- Blackberries
- Cactus pads/fruit
- Cantaloupe
- Cherries
- Collard greens
- Dandelion greens/flowers
- Endive
- Grapes
- Kale
- Mulberries
- Mushrooms (edible)
- Mustard greens
- Peaches
- Persimmons
- Plums
- Romaine lettuce
- Squash
- Strawberries
- Sweet potato
- Tomatoes
Commercial Diets
Appropriate commercial diet options include Reptilinks, Mazuri Tortoise Diet, Repashy Veggie Burger, and Arcadia OmniGold.
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Feeding Frequency and Amounts
Young and growing three-toed box turtles should be given as much as they can eat every day. Once they near adulthood, this should be reduced to every other day to prevent obesity.
The "Turtle Mash"
At GST, a special turtle "mash" is prepared to provide a nutrient-rich meal to their box turtles. This mash can be altered to suit the specific needs and preferences of the turtles. The beauty of this mash is that you can change it up slightly so that they don't get sick of eating the same thing, and add or subtract specific nutrients that you think they may need. It's also experimental in a sense that not all box turtles are the same, some may like it and some may not, so altering textures and ingredients can be helpful in finding what they prefer. Making this mash is helpful because it allows you to make a large amount all at once and feed a lot of mouths relatively quickly.
Ingredients
The basic mash consists of:
- Steamed sweet potato
- Cooked lean ground turkey
- Raw mushrooms
- Shredded carrot
- Raw corn
- Red leaf lettuce
- Raspberries
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
Preparation
- Finely chop all ingredients.
- Drain and press the cooked ground turkey to remove excess liquid.
- Ensure sweet potatoes are well-drained to avoid a watery consistency.
- Mix all ingredients thoroughly, ensuring a consistent blend.
The goal is to have everything as finely chopped and mixed as possible so that the animals cannot pick out the specific elements that they want, and that each bite gives them as much nutrients as possible.
Additional Ingredients
Other ingredients that can be added or substituted include:
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- Strawberries
- Mulberries
- Ground chicken
- Venison
- Squash
- Peaches
- Bananas (to entice picky eaters)
- Dandelion
- Bait fish
Caution: Always research the safety of any new ingredient before adding it to the mash. Rinse all fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly before use.
Supplements
To ensure that your turtle is receiving all the necessary nutrients, it is beneficial to supplement their diet. Repashy Superveggie supplement powder can be sprinkled on their food. Additionally, a cuttlebone should be provided in the enclosure as a source of calcium and to help keep the turtle's beak trimmed.
Water
Fresh, clean drinking water should always be available. Three-toed box turtles often soak in their water dishes, so the water should be replaced daily and the dish cleaned weekly with an animal-safe disinfectant. A large flower pot saucer, sunk into the substrate for easy access, makes for a good water dish.
Dietary Considerations for Captive Turtles
Variety is Key
The key to providing your pet with balanced nutrition is VARIETY! This is especially important with three-toed box turtles, as they are known to get bored of eating the same thing quickly and will refuse food. So provide as many different kinds of foods to your pet as possible!
Presentation
Food should always be offered on a plate or tray to prevent unnecessary ingestion of substrate.
Quarantine
New reptiles should always pass quarantine before naturalistic substrate is added to their enclosure.
Ensuring a Natural Diet
At facilities like GST, efforts are made to mimic the natural diet of box turtles. This includes providing a variety of invertebrates, fruits, and vegetables, and creating an environment where they can forage and exhibit natural behaviors.
Enclosure and Environmental Factors
Enclosure Size
Three-toed box turtles need adequate space to explore and exercise. The minimum recommended enclosure size for one adult is 56″L x 28″W x 24″H, or 10.9 square feet of floor space.
Indoor vs. Outdoor Housing
Housing box turtles outdoors is ideal whenever possible. The pen should be placed in a location that is not too wet, with access to both shade and sunshine at all times of day, and it should have well-draining soil. The wall must be at least 2′ tall and smooth enough to discourage climbing (concrete blocks work well), sunk at least 12″ into the soil to discourage burrowing escapes, and the top of the pen should covered with wide mesh (ex: chicken wire) to keep out potential predators.
If housing indoors, provide appropriate UVB and daylight lighting. UVB lighting can be tricky, because in order to get the right strength of UVB (measured by UV Index, or UVI), distance must be considered. To provide appropriate UVB to a three-toed box turtle, you will need one Arcadia T5 HO 6% or Zoo Med T5 HO ReptiSun 5.0 in a reflective T5 HO fixture (preferably Arcadia or Vivarium Electronics brand for best performance). This bulb should be roughly half the length of the enclosure and placed on the warm side, close to the heat lamp(s).
Temperature and Humidity
Maintain a basking area temperature of 85°F / 29°C and a cool zone temperature of 70-75°F / 21-24°C. Indoor heating should be turned off at night to allow for a nighttime temperature drop.
As a mesic species, three-toed box turtles do best in an environment with higher humidity levels and plenty of moisture. Target an average of 60-80%, with daytime humidity never dropping below 51%.
Substrate and Decor
Use a naturalistic substrate that is similar to what is found in their native habitat, such as a DIY temperate mix (40% organic topsoil, 40% Zoo Med Reptisoil, 20% play sand), Zoo Med Eco Earth, Zoo Med Reptisoil, or Exo Terra Plantation Soil. Layer the substrate at least 4″ deep in indoor enclosures and 12″ deep in outdoor enclosures.
Add at least 1″/2.5cm of leaf litter on top of the substrate. Moistened sphagnum moss also makes a good addition. Provide at least 2 hideouts/burrows/caves, hollow logs, downed branches, flat stones, dirt mounds, piles of leaf litter, and edible plants as décor.
Conservation Status and Threats
Three-toed box turtles are facing declines in the wild due to habitat loss and illegal collection for the pet trade. In Missouri, the Department of Conservation has protected the box turtle from being collected and sold as pets. It is crucial to support conservation efforts and ensure that these turtles are not taken from their natural habitats.
Handling and Interaction
Generally speaking, turtles dislike handling and prefer to be left alone. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t interact with your pet! Many box turtles learn to appreciate a gentle shell rub, and they can also learn to take food from your fingers or a pair of feeding tweezers.
When handling is necessary, scoop them up from below with your palm rather than grabbing them from above. This will help them not to panic. Then grasp the shell with two hands, supporting both the body and the legs. Keep a firm but gentle grip - falling can do serious damage to a turtle, and can even be fatal!
Always wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling your pet.