Does your turtle love watermelon? Have you ever wondered if it is safe for turtles? Well you have come to the right place.

For starters, yes, turtles can eat watermelon. They are delicious and fine for turtles in small quantities.

In this blog, we will look at everything you should consider in terms of feeding watermelon to your turtles. Let’s get started!

Can Turtles Eat Watermelon?

Most turtles are omnivorous. Feeding your turtles watermelon is absolutely fine. You just need to ensure a complete and balanced diet for your little one.

Watermelon is not at all dangerous for turtles. Turtles can safely eat watermelons, as well as many different types of fruit. It is a tasty, nutritious, and healthy treat for them. Most turtles (including red-eared sliders) and land tortoises can safely eat watermelon.

Is watermelon good for turtles

Watermelon has plenty of benefits for turtles.

• Fruits including watermelon are often preferred by turtles over vegetables.
• Watermelon contains a huge amount of water. They enjoy eating it because it is easier to swallow compared to dry pellets.
• Watermelon is almost 90 percent water. It is a refreshing fruit that keeps the turtle hydrated.
• Watermelon contains vitamin A and vitamin C, both of which are essential for turtles’ health.
• Watermelon helps turtles keep their skin moist, maintain the water level in their body, and drain out the toxins from their body.

To learn more about a turtle’s diet, check out how much to feed a turtle.

How to feed your turtle watermelon?

If you want to try giving your turtle a watermelon, then you need to be careful. It is probably a good idea to start slowly to see how your turtle’s stomach reacts. Remember that you need to remove the seeds. I also recommend only feeding your turtle the red part of watermellon, and not the green outer layer.

The green outer layer is much tougher to chew and digest, and could cause your turtle to choke.

You can feed your turtle watermelon by placing it in the water or on land.

You shouldn’t force your turtle to eat watermelon. If you try to feed your turtle watermelon a couple times and they refuse to eat it, you should accept the fact that they don’t like it and explore other types of fruits or vegetables.

Precautions while giving watermelon to your turtle

It is important to understand that as a pet owner, you are responsible for the health and wellbeing of your turtle. Pet turtles depend on us for everything including food and care.

While watermelon is not harmful to turtles, there are a few things you should keep in mind when feeding them watermelon.

• Watermelons contain high amounts of sugar. If you feed it excessively to your turtles, they might develop long-term health issues.
• Turtle’s plant-based diet should have only 10-20% of the fruit. The rest should consist of protein sources and leafy vegetables.
• Don’t feed your turtle watermelon over and over again. A turtle’s food should have variety otherwise they might lack important nutrients in their diet.
• Turtles usually carry Salmonella bacteria on their skin. Remember to wash your hands after feeding your turtle.
• Stop feeding your turtle watermelon immediately if you notice any changes in behavior or appearance.

In general, it is always important to provide your turtle with a mixed diet. You should never only feed your turtle one source of food.

Can baby turtles eat watermelon?

What a turtle usually eats depends on the species, age, and nutritional requirements. Keep in mind that baby turtles will eat relatively more protein than older animals. So, baby turtles need to eat higher amounts of animal-based material as compared to fruits and veggies. You can offer them watermelon as a yummy treat, but the bulk of their diet should be protein sources.

What Other Fruits Can Turtles Eat?

Turtles are omnivorous and their diet includes both plant-based and animal-based foods. Fruits should be fed in less amount than vegetables as they are less nutritious for turtles. The plant material in their diet includes 80-90 percent of vegetables while fruit content should not be more than 10-20 percent.

 Other fruits that are safe for most turtles are:

• Apples
• Pears
• Bananas (with skin)
• Mango
• Grapes and raisins
• Peaches
• Tomato
• Guava
• Kiwis

The particularly healthy fruits for turtles include figs, apricots, dates, raspberries, and strawberries. You should avoid feeding citrus fruits to turtles. They contain citric acid which might irritate their stomach. If you are interested in protein sources for your turtle, I would suggest you feed your turtle crickets.

Final Thoughts

The bottom line on watermelon? The key is to offer watermelon to your turtle in moderation. Watermelon should not become a large part of your turtle’s regular diet. As a responsible pet owner, you must ensure to satisfy their tastes safely.

Does your turtle enjoy a bite of a watermelon? Share your experience with us. We would be happy to hear from you.

Until next time everyone!