Turtles, tortoises, and terrapins are such rewarding pets to have in the home.
These reptiles are much more chilled compared to an energetic dog, and they’re not likely to bring you any dead animals like a cat.
To give your turtle, tortoise, or terrapin the very best, you will of course want to ensure that you are giving them the right types of food so that they can stay happy and healthy.
Blueberries are a super easy and convenient treat to give to your pet. But before you give any blueberries to your reptile, you will need to ensure that these are actually safe for them to eat.
You won’t want to cause them any unnecessary distress by giving them something that they can’t eat.
Today, we’re going to cover everything that you need to know about feeding your pet reptile blueberries.
Because turtles, tortoises, and terrapins are all slightly different from one another, we will be taking a look at each of them in more detail to get a better understanding of whether they can eat blueberries or not.
So let’s get stuck in with everything you need to know!
Tip: Check our full guide “What Do Turtles Eat?”
Can Turtles Eat Blueberries?
Yes, turtles can eat blueberries! In fact, blueberries will even prove to be a highly nutritious treat for your pet turtle. However, you will need to exercise moderation when it comes to giving your turtle blueberries.
This is because too many blueberries could become harmful to your turtle.
This is because your turtle will typically prefer vegetables to fruit, and these will be much healthier for them. Blueberries are a yummy treat, that’s for sure.
However, they do have a higher quantity of sugar in them than other vegetation that you might want to give to your turtle as a treat.
Giving your turtle a small number of blueberries won’t be too harmful to them. However, too much sugar in your turtle’s diet can completely interfere with their digestive system.
If you do wish to give blueberries to your turtle, it will be best to do this alongside other types of fruit, such as bananas, melon, and apples.
How Many Blueberries Should I Feed My Turtle?
So how many blueberries are safe to give to your turtle? It’s best to only give them one or two blueberries a day to avoid upsetting their delicate digestive system.
This is because anything more excessive will give your turtle far too much sugar than their systems can reasonably deal with.
It’s important to remember that treats such as blueberries should only account for around 10% of their diet. Fruit should only be a very small part of their diet, as they will need to get protein from other sources.
If you want to err on the side of caution, it would be best to opt for a dark, leafy green vegetable for your turtle to enjoy instead.
Can Tortoises Eat Blueberries?
The answer to whether your tortoise can eat blueberries will depend on the type of tortoise that you have.
There are two main types of tortoise that you will need to consider: those that eat fruit, as well as Mediterranean and grazing tortoises.
It’s fairly obvious to assume that if you have a fruit-eating tortoise, then they can indeed eat blueberries.
There’s nothing to stop you from giving your pet tortoise blueberries as a tasty treat, or even as part of their natural diet.
However, you will need to avoid feeding your fruit-eating tortoise the leaves of the blueberry tree, as these have far too many tannins to be safe for them to eat.
Things will be slightly different if you have a Mediterranean or grazing tortoise.
In this case, the same rule as with turtles applies. You can feed them blueberries if you really want to, however, you will need to do this sparingly.
Because of their naturally high sugar content, blueberries can cause some health issues in tortoises if they were to be fed in large amounts.
Remember that your tortoise will need a diet that reflects what it would eat in the wild. This will help to keep your pet tortoise happy and healthy.
How Many Blueberries Should I Feed My Tortoise?
As with turtles, moderation will be the key to answering this question. If you have a Mediterranean or grazing tortoise, then it will be best to only feed them a small number of blueberries each day.
This should prevent them from becoming overloaded with sugar, and avoid those health issues.
If you have a fruit-eating tortoise, such as the yellow-footed tortoise, then their diet will need to be made up of 30% fruit.
You can use blueberries for this, however, it will still be best to mix them with other fruits so that your tortoise is getting a fully balanced diet.
If you have a Mediterranean or grazing tortoise, it will be important to double-check whether blueberries are 100% safe for the specific breed that you own.
Some of these tortoises aren’t able to cope with the high sugar content of blueberries, so these should only make up around 5% of their diet.
Can Terrapins Eat Blueberries?
Yes, terrapins can eat blueberries.
However, as with turtles, terrapins will need to be fed blueberries in moderation to get the best benefits from the treats. if you stick to feeding blueberries to your terrapin as a treat, they shouldn’t have any problems with this.
This is because terrapins are omnivores, so need to be fed a varied diet in order to get the balance of nutrients that they need.
It is best to give only a small amount of blueberries to your pet alongside other types of leafy greens, as well as other animal foods.
Make sure that you only select organic blueberries to give to your terrapin, too. These will be free from harmful chemicals that could upset your terrapin’s digestive system.
How Many Blueberries Should I Feed My Terrapin?
When it comes to feeding your terrapin blueberries, you should only give them a small handful every couple of days.
This is because the blueberries are best given as a snack so that you don’t overwhelm your terrapin with sugar.
As they are an omnivore, your terrapin will need a mix of different vegetation and animal food so that they can stay happy and healthy.
If you give them a small number of blueberries mixed with other types of fruit, this will keep your terrapin very happy indeed.
In Summary
So there you have it! You now know everything there is to know about feeding your turtle, tortoise, or terrapin blueberries.
Your pet turtle can indeed have blueberries as the occasional treat, however, it will be important to exercise moderation. This is because blueberries are naturally high in sugar.
Too much sugar can overwhelm your turtle’s digestive system. Blueberries and other types of fruit should account for no more than 10% of your turtle’s daily diet.
For the vast majority of tortoises, the same rule as with turtles will apply when it comes to blueberries.
They can eat them, but only in moderation, as the blueberries should only account for between 5% to 10% of their diet.
However, if you have a fruit-eating tortoise, then the fruit can account for around 30% of their diet. It will still be best to add additional fruits with the blueberries so that they get more of a varied diet.
