More and more people want to keep turtles.
From May they are also welcome to go out into the garden.
Anyone who grows herbs there has a clear advantage.
Cologne – Some people know turtles from their long-distance travels, but there are more and more people who buy one in this country too.
But it should be considered before buying that you are entering into a connection for life.
Turtles can get very old.
In addition, the slow reptiles with the leisurely gait seem very easy to care for, but that is a fallacy.
If the reptiles are not kept in a species-appropriate manner, they can quickly become ill.
One of the most common mistakes is poor nutrition.
Fruit for turtles?
Improper feeding softens their shell
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It is better not to give turtles fruit and vegetables and give them wild herbs instead.
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© Sabine Gudath/Imago
Inexperienced owners think they are doing their tortoises a favor by feeding them fruits and vegetables.
In principle, there is nothing wrong with a natural diet.
After all, turtles are herbivores that eat vegetarian food in the wild, as reported by the "West German Broadcasting Corporation" (WDR).
Like humans, they also need vitamins and minerals, otherwise they will get sick and their armor will become soft as a result.
But instead of fruit and vegetables, European tortoises need wild herbs such as dandelion, nettle, buckhorn or broadleaf plantain.
It therefore makes sense to move the tortoise from its winter quarters into your own garden from May so that it can go there in search of food.
Make sure that this is well and securely fenced off so that she cannot escape.
Fruit for turtles?
Waste often contains pesticides
She feels most comfortable here in wildly romantic orchards or natural meadows.
There she can also find all kinds of food for herself.
If you can't offer that, but have a bed, you can also grow lettuce, clovers, coltsfoot and radishes yourself and feed them fresh to the turtles.
However, be careful not to spray them with pesticides and it is best to raise them without artificial fertilizer.
This is ultimately the reason why you should not feed the reptiles any fruit or vegetable waste from the supermarket.
Because the shells of conventionally grown food also contain many pesticides and are harmful to the turtles.
Ultimately, this can lead to bone disease in the animals, which ultimately manifests itself in the fact that their armor becomes increasingly soft.
In order to prevent this, species-appropriate feeding is essential.
List of rubrics: © Sabine Gudath/Imago
