Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hugo, my five inch Res, loves oatmeal. Every now and then, I'll sprinkle a palm full of plain uncooked flakes in his tank. He eats them right away.

I only give him this on occasion. I know that oatmeal is one of the healthest things that we can eat, but is it fine for turtles?

It really isn't necessary to give him oatmeal. It isn't really along the lines of what they eat (green vegetation and animal protein). Not sure what the long range effects will be but I suspect at the very least it will contribute to an eventual weight problem.

Steve

I see. I know veggies are a natural part of their diet, but you sure wouldn't know it Hugo. I tried romaine, carrots, carrot leafs, alfalfa sprouts, and spinach. He just lets that stuff float. Whenever its fruit or chicken, he scarfs it down right away.

From looking at other post, I know I should leave the veggies with him and eventually he'll it eat. I do this on occasion and when he doesn't touch it, I get concerned because I don't want him to starve.

Unless he is ill, you need not worry that he will starve. Eventually, he will figure out that the oatmeal is not coming and he better eat his greens. Turtles can go a long, long time without food. Just make sure you are more stubborn than he is.

Nancy

Try keeping aquatic plants in the tank with him. (java fern is a good one). This way he has a fresh source of greens at all times. You can feed him his regular meat diet and reduce it a bit. Eventually he will get curious about the plants and start to nibble on them.

Steve