Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Sup yall,

Just wondering--My hatchlings are ravenous eaters and quite healthy. But they're kind of drab brown with only a few hints of spots. Not to say I don't like them, but are there foods I can feed them to brighten them up a bit? Like lots of stuff rich in beta-carotenes? What else besides carrots and peppers can I offer them? Thanks.

Johnny

As far as I know, diet has a minimal effect. Turtles that receive a nutritious diet will undoubtedly develop to their full color potential, but I have never heard of any foods that will augment color. It's all genetics. Can people control skin tone and hair color through diet alone?

Nearly all hatchlings start out fairly drab. Those bits of color will spread like wildfire as the turtle gets older.

I think hatchlings are supposed to be drab when they're very young, and start to show colors as they age.
I also think that heredity has something to do with how colorful they get, but I don't think that that's the only factor: several people on this forum and elsewhere have noted that captive bred/raised turtles tend to be less colorful, possibly due to less variety in their diet. I've also read that turtles kept indoors "fade" a bit.
If you want more colorful turtles, make sure they get alot of different foods (which you should try to provide anyway), but don't expect them to be colorful for a couple of years or so.
I recall reading somewhere that flamingos are pink because of the quantities of shrimp they consume...Also,human babies skin , and especially their noses, can, and do, turn orange when fed and abundance of pureed carrots or sweetpotatoes.

>>Sup yall,
>>
>>Just wondering--My hatchlings are ravenous eaters and quite healthy. But they're kind of drab brown with only a few hints of spots. Not to say I don't like them, but are there foods I can feed them to brighten them up a bit? Like lots of stuff rich in beta-carotenes? What else besides carrots and peppers can I offer them? Thanks.

I have received captive turtles for rehab that were very drab and as soon as I put them in an outdoor pen (after their treatments), their colors would begin to brighten. I think sunlight plays some part in enhancing box turtle colors. This won;t help your hatchiling turtles however, since they are drab for a very different reason, ie, survival They should brighten with age as long as you feed them a varied diet and give them access to sunlight.

Unfortunatley the really gorgeous box turtles are colorful due to their genetics. Hopefully yours will be lucky as well.

PS My dullest Three-toed has the greatest personality
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Tess
Kingsnake.com Forum Host

I have found that being outdoors does brighten the color alot, but I have also wondered if hibernation brings out the colors too.

Any thoughts on this?

Thanks and take care,

PHKiwi

Hey guys,

My 2 little babies are starting to get some colorful spots. Especially after washing the dirt off them, they look pretty nice. If it's mostly genetics, that's very good news because their mother was ONE HOT MILF...uh, in turtle terms. =P

Johnny