Can Turtles Eat Grass? [Answered]

Turtles make the best pets that you can keep in your home or even at your workplace. However, when you have a Turtle, you feel the tough responsibility of taking care of them. This includes what they eat, cleaning their tanks, and ensuring their safety from predators. This was quite a task for me too, when I bought my first Turtle. All I thought about was exotic Turtle foods. What I came to learn is that a turtle’s eating habit will depend on their habitat, their behavior, as well as available food from their environment. 

So can Turtles Eat Grass? 

Yes! Most land turtles predominantly eat grass and other plants and shrubs within their reach. The water turtles are mainly herbivores and carnivores. However, they progress as herbivores as they become adults. Grass and plants are nutritious and will form a good food source for your Turtle. If you were concerned about feeding your Turtle grass, there is no problem with feeding them hay, grass, and fruits. 

However, like any other pet, you should avoid feeding your Turtle certain foods. The grass is suitable for turtles but does not form their staple food. You should not use grass as a primary source of food for your pet Turtle. Even though it is not harmful, it has no much nutritional benefits. Therefore consider including other food varieties in their diet. 

Do turtles eat grass?

Depending on the species of your Turtle, they might be disinterested in eating grass. Most of the species would rather have various weeds, such as dandelion, for their nutritional benefits. However, you should understand that it is normal to see your Turtle eating grass from time to time. According to research, both turtles and tortoises love eating grass when they are grazing. A keynote to always remember is that grass is not harmful to turtles and tortoises. 

Most of the food that your Turtle will love is based on their curiosity to feel the grass, weed, and plants’ taste. If they are in a new environment, they will eat because they are hungry or bored. There are numerous reasons why you will find your Turtle eating grass. 

Sometimes you will notice your Turtle getting disinterested in eating grass. There is no need to worry. It is a sign they are not hungry, and probably they are getting the right minerals and nutrients from their foods. Other turtles too have a sweet tooth and will need to eat tasty foods, thus the disinterest in eating grass. 

Does a Turtle need grass?

Most turtles are omnivores. This means that their diet will mainly contain plants, herbs, shrubs, grass, and much more. Their food will primarily be high in Fibre to help with digestion, rich in calcium to promote bone and shell growth, and relatively low in protein to prevent their shell growth problems. So if you were wondering if a Turtle does eat grass, the answer is Yes! They need grass in their diet. 

There are hundreds of grass varieties. However, lawn and turf grass is the most common. If you consider enriching your turtle’s food with grass, these are the two varieties that will come to mind. Besides, always remember that grass alone will not provide the needed nutrients and minerals. Always make sure you are supplementing their diet with other pet turtle foods. 

Why does a Turtle need to eat grass?

Grass offers several benefits to your turtle’s health. Besides, you might notice that you do not need to de-weed your lawn since your Turtle and tortoises can just eat it out. However, the grass is hydrating, especially when covered with dew. This means that they will have the right cell functioning and the right moisture content in their food. It should be noted that even though grass offers no many nutrients and minerals to your Turtle, it has a good nutrient kick in their diet. Always make sure that grass is not the primary and main food source for your Turtle. Include other food sources to ensure your pet gets all the required nutrients from alternative foods and diets. 

The best grass that Turtle can feed on

Are you looking to find the grass variety that befits a good food source for your Turtle and tortoises? Well, there is a whole range of grass varieties. The main kind is lawn grass. Weed growing amidst the grass offers a good nutrient source for their diet. Even more, the weed improves the general taste of grass, which makes a Turtle savor for more. 

If you are inclined to consume nutritional grass varieties such as oat grass, wheatgrass, and barley grass, these make a perfect choice. 

Most of these grass varieties are always considered as cereal grass. Even though they have no difference from other grass varieties, turtles always digest it well, ensuring that the Turtle gets all the available minerals and nutrient content. 

However, not all nutritional grass is suitable for your Turtle. Barley and oat grass contain higher proteins. Much protein promotes shell growth, which will lead to the shell over growing if digested over a long time. The most preferred grass variety for the Turtle is lawn grass and wheatgrass. 

Hay is also good for your Turtle. These include meadow hay and orchard hay. Other kinds of grass to feed your Turtle are couch grass, Buffalo grass, Dallas grass, winter grass, Kikuyu grass, and blue grass. 

Wrap up

When you are taking your Turtle outdoors, there is no need for worry when you notice it munching on grass. It is common for turtles and tortoises to eat grass time and again. If you are having trouble with enriching their diet, include grass as part of their foods. Also, dandelion and other weeds in the grass add to the food’s taste and a whole range of nutritional benefits. 

Related questions :

Can baby turtles eat grass? 

There is no question about turtles and tortoises eating grass as part of their diet. Baby turtles can eat grass. This will offer the nutrients and minerals in the grass. However, they could be limited to eating soft grass as opposed to tough grass because of their weak jaws. 

Can Turtles Eat wheatgrass? 

During the winter season, the availability of grass varieties tends to be limited. At this time, Turtle owners often prefer wheatgrass to other grass varieties. However, you will notice some turtles will not enjoy eating wheatgrass. It is advisable to provide grass in moderation in such a scenario or prefer not to serve it as the primary food source for your Turtle.