The Best Calcium Sources for Red Eared Sliders & Similar Turtles

[bronxzoofrank]

Hi, Frank Indiviglio here. I’m a herpetologist, zoologist, and book author, recently retired from a career spent at several zoos, aquariums, and museums, including over 20

Red-Eared Sliders, Snapping Turtles, Red-Bellied Turtles, Soft-shelled Turtles, Reeve’s Turtles and the various Side-necks and Snake-necks are among the world’s most popular reptilian pets. While we know much about their care, the importance of calcium in the diet is, judging from the questions I receive on this blog, still not fully realized by all keepers. One feeding tip I received from an animal importer for whom I worked as a boy has served me well throughout my career as a zookeeper, and remains the simplest way to assure adequate calcium intake. Today I’ll review it and some other very useful calcium sources. Read the rest of this article here http://bit.ly/1tUgQkd

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Best Regards, Frank

[Dubia Dynasty]

Cuddle bone my friend =) is all you will need along with a healthy diet. Same thing you give birds too sharpen their beaks, that kind of cuddle bone just break apart and remove the hardback of it. I had several alligator snapping turtles, box turtles, and softshells. They all love that cuddle bone. It will float for a while then sink too the bottom. They will eat as needed. Give them a big enough piece that as they eat it will keep the turtles beak trimmed and they dont swallow it whole. It serves 2 purposes calcium and trimming of beaks(and yes turtle beaks lol.)

[bronxzoofrank]

Cuddle bone my friend =) is all you will need along with a healthy diet. Same thing you give birds too sharpen their beaks, that kind of cuddle bone just break apart and remove the hardback of it. I had several alligator snapping turtles, box turtles, and softshells. They all love that cuddle bone. It will float for a while then sink too the bottom. They will eat as needed. Give them a big enough piece that as they eat it will keep the turtles beak trimmed and they dont swallow it whole. It serves 2 purposes calcium and trimming of beaks(and yes turtle beaks lol.)

Thank you. Can work well, however, in my experience with hundreds of species (zoo caeer, etc), I and others have found that not all turtles will accept and there are some differences between various Ca sources. May be a recent related article in Herpetologica, an abstract should be avail on line if you do not subscribe, best, frank

[Dubia Dynasty]

In most cases humans don't even receive the proper nutritional intake. So that doesn't even cross most peoples mind. They go for 1 thing and think that is good enough. A all around good diet and a vitamin supplement, along with other calcium options(cuddle bone) and UVB lighting should be more than sufficient for a turtle. They survive with parasitic organisms and all kind of things in the wild, I hooked a large female ally snapper while catfishing and i rehabbed it, it pooped acorns for almost 2 weeks. I dewormed it and released to the same creek i captured, made me feel good. =).

But i do agree with you 100% that calcium should be the main concern in a turtles diet, most of their body is calcium based. Even though people say UVB lighting is not necessary for alligator snapping turtles, i still gave my young ones play time in a kiddy pool outside in shaded sun.

I have also heard of people with larger alligator snappers that would inhale cuddle bone, they will stuff a boiled chicken breast or fish fillet with human grade vitamins. Also just another option, i have heard of.