What do freshwater alligator snapping turtles eat, and how should they be kept so they grow big?

The alligator snapping turtle, also known as the macrochelys, alligator shell turtle or alligator bite turtle, is one of the larger species of turtle, and because of its strong adaptability, its lack of pickiness and its omnivorous diet it is widely kept as a pet. So what does the alligator snapping turtle eat to grow? How should it be kept so it grows?

1. What does it eat?

1. What do hatchlings eat?

(1) Foods they can eat:

The food of hatchlings is mainly small fish; dead fish, invertebrates, carrion and amphibians are all food for them, and they will also eat snakes or other turtles, and sometimes birds.

(2) Feed they can eat

Three days after hatching, hatchlings can be fed a mixture of cooked eggs and cooked millet; after about 50 days they can be fed chopped small fish, snails, mussel meat, animal offal and trimmings; after 90 days they can be transferred to a cement pond for rearing.

2. What do adult turtles eat?

(1) Foods they can eat:

The alligator snapping turtle is a carnivore, and will also eat carrion, small fish, crayfish, various shellfish and various fruits and vegetables; wild individuals will also prey on snakes and birds.

(2) Feed they can eat:

The feed for adult turtles is still mainly small fish, snails, mussel meat, animal offal and trimmings, supplemented with some softened wheat, crushed corn, vegetables and aquatic plants, and should also be appropriately supplemented with vitamins, trace elements and calcium.

(3) Under artificial rearing conditions, they can eat fish, pork, beef and poultry offal, and plant foods such as apples and vegetable leaves.

2. Feed formulas

(1) Formula one: fish meal 38%, peanut cake 10%, soybean cake 12%, rapeseed cake 5%, flour 20%, cornmeal 10%, bone meal 3%, lysine 1%, multivitamins 1%. The crude protein content of this formula feed is 42%.

(2) Formula two: fish meal 20%, silkworm pupa meal 10%, soybean powder 15%, cornmeal 15%, flour 20%, bone meal 3%, peanut cake 15%, lysine 1%, multivitamins 1%. The crude protein content of this formula feed is 35%.

3. Feeding method

The starvation rearing method

Do not feed for 5 to 7 days and keep it in a hungry state; after 7 days throw in a few loaches and let it hunt for itself. If it catches them it can eat its fill, and if it does not catch them let it go hungry. Generally feed a normal meal once a week. Continue this for one month, and when you put your finger in the water it will certainly come to hunt. If it is fairly large, you can feed it a whole cuttlefish.

4. What if it does not eat?

(1) Food problem: the alligator snapping turtle is a carnivore and very fond of live prey. If conditions permit, it is best to find some small live fish or earthworms to lure the alligator snapping turtle into hunting on its own. But this is not absolute, as fresh vegetables and fruit can also be eaten by them.

(2) Unfamiliar environment: it is normal for an alligator snapping turtle not to eat when it has just entered a new environment. At this time all you can do is wait; once it becomes familiar with the new environment it will be fine. If you are really worried, you can put it in a dark, quiet place for two days.

(3) Unsuitable temperature: the most suitable environmental temperature for the alligator snapping turtle to live in is between 27 and 30°C. If the temperature is too low, hibernation may occur, and the typical sign of hibernation is not eating or drinking. If this is the cause, you only need a heater rod to heat the water.

2. Rearing tips:

1. Light

The alligator snapping turtle needs sunlight. If it is kept entirely indoors, it must often be taken out to bask in the sun for a little over ten minutes a day. It is recommended to keep it in a southeast-facing spot where it can get about 1 to 2 hours of sunlight and to provide shade so it does not suffer heatstroke.

2. Water temperature

When the alligator snapping turtle is kept long-term at a water temperature of 18 to 20°C, its growth rate is several times slower than at the optimal growth water temperature of 30 to 31°C. When changing water or when an exposed outdoor turtle pond happens to encounter heavy rain or a sudden change in temperature, precautions should be taken in good time to avoid a water temperature fluctuation greater than 2°C.

3. Tank bottom

The bottom of the alligator snapping turtle's tank can be covered with some small stones or large pebbles, but if it is covered, changing the water becomes very troublesome. Beginners are advised to use a bare tank, that is, with nothing laid down, and at the same time do not put aquatic plants in the water.

4. Water depth

The alligator snapping turtle lives in water, and the water depth generally only needs to be slightly higher than the turtle's shell; it does not need to be too deep, and at most should not exceed 2 times the height of the turtle's shell. It is best to provide a stone that rises above the water surface so the turtle can climb up and bask its shell.

5. Water quality

The alligator snapping turtle has a fairly large food intake and a fairly large amount of excrement. Even if green feed is given, it pollutes the water quality fairly quickly, and more harmful substances are easily produced in the water body. Spraying and applying photosynthetic bacteria at the bottom can effectively improve water quality and reduce harmful substances.

6. Water changes

For an alligator snapping turtle rearing tank with a water depth of 20 cm, the water can be changed once a day; at 30 cm, once every 2 days. Never go many days without changing the water, and do not let the water body give off a bad smell. Every 7 to 10 days, quicklime can be sprayed once, and note that it should be applied alternately with photosynthetic bacteria.

7. Feed

The alligator snapping turtle has fairly omnivorous feeding habits; usually fish, loaches, meat and so on can all be fed. Compound feed is generally 1.5 to 2.5% of the alligator snapping turtle's total body weight, and live feed 5 to 10%. Feed 3 times a day at fixed times and in fixed amounts, and the range of food fed should be even and broad.