Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all,
Thought this would be an interesting topic, as there are likely many opinions and I am VERY keen on incorporating some wild caught critters into my turtles' diets.
What types of organisms found outdoors within the E. Box Turtle's range are safe to capture and use for feeding? I know the underlying caveat is to ensure they are from areas nowhere near pesticide/herbicide exposure.
So, let's see what you all have to say!
Ryan
P.S. Conversely, what things should be avoided (lubbers, brightly coloured caterpillars (what about tent caterpillars?), etc.)?

Mine love slugs, sowbugs/pillbugs/rolypolies, any kind of roach- the bigger the better!

Nanci
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*****
0.0.1 Classic Corn, 0.0.1 Cali King, 0.1 Nelson's Milk
1.0 Tricolor Hog, 0.0.1 Eastern Hog, 1.0 Florida King
1.0 Eastern Box Turtle, 1.0 Florida Box Turtle
0.0.2 Desert Torts, 2.0 Feral Pigeons

Mine eat the usual: earth worms, slugs, small snails, as well as various larvae (Japanese beetle grubs, ground beetle grubs)and caterpillars (not fuzzy ones, though) cicadas, ground beetles are some of the things I have witnessed them eating.
I'm pretty sure that one of my turtles ate a small frog that had taken up residence in the pond, because it disappeared again pretty quickly. They would probably eat smaller toads as well.

"I'm pretty sure that one of my turtles ate a small frog that had taken up residence in the pond, because it disappeared again pretty quickly. They would probably eat smaller toads as well."

I've noticed that toads seem rather afraid of turtles, so I suspect a turtle would try to make a snack out of one.
My adult male ornate has made an attempt (charged a toad in his pen), lucky for the toad, I was there to save it.

For not so safe:
Any insect that can sting or has bright warning colors, black and orange, black and yellow. Previously wild turtles will avoid these but captive breed may not know better.
Stink bugs and similar beetle/bugs, they may try them but I'm sure the taste it horrible. Even toads won't eat stink bugs. I've found that nothing will eat squash bugs, unfortunately.
Spiders are usually fair game, but it might be best to keep scorpions and black widows away.
Worms/larva that have been eating nightshade plants (tomatoes, peppers), this includes large hornworms.

Other than that anything that moves will probably be eaten.

My problem answering this is I don't know the names of some of the bugs around here. We have some sort of hard crunchy small black beetles that the turtles love to eat.
We have some sort of large weevil looking thing with a soft body that they eat.
Crickets, grubs, June bugs, earthworms, caterpillars that come off the mulberry trees. I've seen them sniff other types of caterpillars then ignore them.
I've dug up some kind of worm before that looks a lot like a mealworm except it's lighter in color, they'll eat those too.

They smell their food before they bite.
I think Steph has it right, if it moves, it's fair game.
I don't worry about it much because our lawn & area is organic- no chemicals used here.
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PHRatz

Lightning bugs and their larva are toxic, not that
I think anyone would try to feed that, but they might
the larva.

Hey Ryan,
By the way, I enjoyed the pictures and growth chart. Thanks for sharing.
Your study area should be loaded with slugs and snails! These are fantastic box turtle food items, and they go bonkers over them!! Also, picking apart well rotted logs will typically yield various beetle grubs.
I usually avoid tent catepillars. Some can be harmful, some are not. I don't know enough about the different types so I'm cautious. You'd probably be able to find a harmless type with a little research. I've discovered my turtles eating them in their pens from time to time with no ill effect.
After a season of eating wild caught insects, your turtles may appreciate a dose of broad spectrum dewormer. Slugs and snails are notorious parasite-spreaders.

Thanks, Ken!
I was wondering about parasitism and if it's even worth it to feed wild caught organisms. That is, since my main concern is the turtles' health, would incorporating these items be ideal... I don't know.
Ryan

I test my turtles every summer to make sure they don't have parasites. So far I never have had one test positive.
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PHRatz

I think it is WELL worth it. NO gut loading protocol can mimic the plethora of "bioavailable" vitamins and minerals in wild caught fodder. That is my opinion.

I fed wild caught(and live) invertebrates(and some vertebrates) to my various turtles for years with no apparent ill effects. Then, one of my Blanding's was infected with tapeworms from feeding live crayfish. I now freeze and thaw most things that are wild caught. My outdoor turtles, since they graze naturally on wild insects, are chosen at random and tested periodically. In five years, they have never tested positive.

If you have the means, it would be great to do fecal examinations after this summer. With a minimum of training and a microscope, you can do this yourself. I'm not aware of the laws regarding medications in Canada, but a Vet. may only be necessary if you see something concerning and wish for further examination or treatment. Or, you can just deworm prophylactically. Or, you can wait for symptoms. All of these options have merit. I tend to err on the side of caution after seeing how detrimental the tapeworm infection was to my Blanding's.

Hey, if I could pick them up, I'd ask you to collect some critters for me too!

I wholeheartedly agree.
I have the equipment and have performed fecal float and smear tests, so I can do this after the summer.
Our lab is able to acquire most medications involved in zoological study so this should also not be a problem.
I will likely not incorporate wild snails into their diet due to the many known endoparasites.
Ryan

I'm sure that you know this...but, just for our audience's sake. Many types of Cestodes(tapeworms) won't be evident in fecal analysis. Other tests may be necessary if they are suspected.