Zoo database

Green sea turtles

Chelonia mydas

Natural diet Green sea turtles

Green sea turtles are herbivorous grazers whose diets primarily consists of seagrasses, algae, and other marine plants. In nature, juvenile green sea turtles may also supplement their diet with jellyfish, crustaceans, and other invertebrates.

Algae
Algae
Invertebrates / crustaceans
Invertebrates / crustaceans
Leaves
Leaves

Feeding advice Green sea turtles

Feed quantity per day

2-4%

Sample percentage calculation

If an animal weighs 140 kg and eats 3% of its body weight, it will get
 
140 x 0.03 = 4.2 kg feed in total per day

Feed composition

30% Concentrates
70% Leafy greens and cabbages

Proportions (fresh product)

0.3 x 4.2 kg = 1,260 g concentrates
0.7 x 4.2 kg = 2,940 g leafy greens and cabbages

Diet Suggestions

Recommended

Variety of leafy greens

Pellets / gel

Not recommended

Root vegetables

Fruits

Common diseases

An unbalanced diet may result in one of these more commonly occurring diseases/conditions:

  • Obesity
  • Shell deformities
  • Fatty liver disease
  • Bloating

Additional advice

  • Divide the “Feed quantity per day” over at least one feeding moment per day.
  • Green sea turtles are marine grazers, therefore, it can be beneficial to provide the feed at the bottom of the enclosure instead of floating.
  • Foraging behaviour can be further stimulated by feeding certain food items inside of frozen ice cubes (read more about feed enrichment and foraging behaviour).