Although it may concern you as a first - prison term turtle owner , it ’s actually normal for a polo-neck to not eat for a few years . If they have finish eat for several days , it ’s prison term to look at what ’s buy the farm on in their environment to see if there ’s a job . Many times there ’s no problem at all , but it ’s always good to be on the safe side . If your turtle goes more than a few days without eat , there may be a concern , and it ’s important to infer what could be make their want of appetency .
Reasons for a Turtle’s Lack of Appetite
Before you undertake tocoax your turtleto eat , it ’s significant to cypher out why they ’re not eating . modification in their environment , feeding schedule , and dieting can all be possible cause .
Stress
If you ’ve just brought your new turtle home , they may be very stressed at all the changes in their surroundings . If you have beenhandling your turtlea lot , this may also cause stress . Aquarium setup and maintenance expertAustin Weber of Lucky Pup Adventuressays , " turtleneck are not a creature that , in their idealistic world , you are treat them every day . If you desire a turtle that is fine with more treatment , tortoises are a safe choice . Aquatic turtle are not acute on being touched a lot . " Weber also enunciate stress can come from hapless water quality and poor lighting .
Temperature
Since turtles require their surroundings to be a sure temperature , if your aquarium is not warm enough , this can dampen their appetite . Like many reptiles , a polo-neck should have areas of his tank with different temperatures that they can move about in as they please . The proper temperature varies reckon on the coinage of turtleneck . For model :
Appropriate Lighting
Just as with temperature , it ’s important to provide species - appropriate lighting in your turtle ’s enclosure . Most types of pet turtle species require about 12 to 14 60 minutes of light each day , followed by a nighttime bike of about 10 to 12 hr . Weber take note that polo-neck involve UVB lighting to action nutrient properly and the deficiency of it can make them unenrgetic and lose their appetence .
Illness
The first thing you should do is look over your polo-neck for signs of malady . Some common symptoms of sickness are :
Diet
It ’s potential your turtleneck is n’t eatingbecause of his dieting . Weber suggests to turn turtle possessor , " Try and vary their diet . you could try something unlike to stimulate their appetite . " If you ’ve fed them primarily a commercially prepared turtle diet , they may dobetter eat live foodlike crickets , snails , mealworm , and earthworms . Some turtles will even eatsmall feeder mice or feeder fish . Some other changes you’re able to make to their diet to help them eat admit :
Use Water
Some mintage of turtle do well eat up their meal underwater . you could experiment with cast his nutrient in the watery area of his tank to see if this sparks his appetite . Another way to use water to entice your turtle to eat is to fill a spray feeding bottle and gently mist them . The reason for this is turtles instinctually will prove to eat when it ’s rain down because in the wild they know this is when worm are more easily accessible .
Lack of Calcium
Another dietetical military issue that can affect your turtle ’s appetite is not gettingenough Ca . If your turtle is n’t start out a Ca appurtenance in summation to their regular diet , you’re able to render them with one through a hebdomadary sprinkling of calcium pulverization on their food for thought . Cuttlebones and calcium block in their tank are also undecomposed alternative .
Time of Day
Turtles incline to have better appetency when they ’re most fighting , which is either early in the 24-hour interval or later in the afternoon . If you ’ve been feeding them midday or in the evenings when they ’re more slow , try changing the time of daytime to see if this induce their appetite . The closer you’re able to feed them to the start of the solar day at dawn , the dear , though this will think some former morning alarm - scene for you ! pornographic turtle also do not require to eat every solar day , so it ’s potential they simply are n’t hungry if you ’re giving them food for thought daily instead of every other solar day .
Time of Year
Some polo-neck will attempt to brumate in the fall and during the wintertime . If you’re able to find nothing wrong with your turtle ’s health , discuss the possibleness that he is judge to hibernate with your veterinarian . Brumation may not be recommendedby your veterinarian , as it can stimulate additional medical outcome for your polo-neck . Even if your polo-neck doesn’tfully brumatein the wintertime , Weber says it ’s normal for them to eat less and be less active at this time of year .
Time for the Veterinarian
If you are able to figure out the drive behind your turtleneck ’s lack of appetite and make simple adjustments to their tank car environment or diet , you hopefully should be back on running with feeding them on a regular basis . If your turtle has n’t eaten in a hebdomad or if you notice signboard of malady coupled with a lack of appetite sooner than a week ’s passing , it ’s time to get your turtle to a reptile veterinarian . Although a turtle can actually go without intellectual nourishment for weeks , you do n’t want to delay getting them treatment if the cause is an rudimentary medical job .
