Feeding and Nutrition :: Food affecting turtle's coloring

[Kemul]

Hey all,

I was thinking, is there turtle diet such that the turtle coloring can be affected?

For example, a flamingo's pink is from the shrimp it eats.

Just curious...

[BullDog]

I'm not sure. For a while, I fed Ralph almost exclusively gammarus pellets, which were really orange. But the only thing that turned orange was his poop

[jozzep]

There's a case where a common snapper was fed red jello shots of food for his whole life.His carapace was a very dark red color.looked pretty cool.

[untsmurf]

I think this could be studied. You could use food coloring to dye their food one color, then feed it over time and see if it changes their appearance. It could be the new hit item!

Buy it now! Turn your turtle BLUE!

[theartbook35]

Cool looking, yes... But, I personally wouldn't want to make my turtle look red or any other color... I'd be worried that it will never go away...

[Kemul]

Interesting answers. Well, I don't want to turn my turtle blue or some other
unnatural colors. What I had in mind is food to turn turtles brighter green or
colors that look like pastel slider. Pastel turtle is beautiful

Anyway, since I got my turtles, Heine has the regular red "ears" and Ramen has
orange "ears". I'm sure Ramen is not a pastel slider though. No change food-wise,
same old Reptomin baby.

Any idea where to start with the study or experiment? Food coloring, green?

[ShellbyRES16x]

Maybe the red stripes could be slightly changed? But if you really look closely, every turtle has a different hue to it's color!

[jozzep]

Cool looking, yes... But, I personally wouldn't want to make my turtle look red or any other color... I'd be worried that it will never go away...

What do you mean?It is permanent...
They didn't do it on purpose.It just happened.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY703udhfVk

[theartbook35]

Interesting answers. Well, I don't want to turn my turtle blue or some other
unnatural colors. What I had in mind is food to turn turtles brighter green or
colors that look like pastel slider. Pastel turtle is beautiful

Anyway, since I got my turtles, Heine has the regular red "ears" and Ramen has
orange "ears". I'm sure Ramen is not a pastel slider though. No change food-wise,
same old Reptomin baby.

Any idea where to start with the study or experiment? Food coloring, green?

Orange ears are a natural coloring. Just like how my eyes are brown, and your eyes are whatever color they are... Yeah, I haven't a clue what you look like, lol XD

Anyways, light colors aren't always a sign of bad health or a poor habitat. Paleness (when a turtle is sickly light) is an issue, but being just regular lime green, isn't unhealthy. One of my turtles lives in a normal habitat and she isn't very bright, and the other turtle is much, much darker. Wait and see what colors your turtles definitely turn out before you try changing their natural coloring. (I can't help it. This reminds me of people who dye their poodles pink).

Joz- I kind of figured it was accidental... I should've been more specific, I'm just saying I wouldn't change my turtle's color on purpose.

[marisa]

Foods high in beta carotene (carrots, squash, pumpkin, etc.) are supposed to help enhance a turtle's coloring. But they will not completely change it.

[jozzep]

Foods high in beta carotene (carrots, squash, pumpkin, etc.) are supposed to help enhance a turtle's coloring. But they will not completely change it.

Whatever it was, it def changed that snappers color.

[Kemul]

Thanks, people! I'll try carrots (again). My turtles are starting to like greens, so
I hope they'll eat the carrot slices next time I try it.

Ramen's orange "ears" are toward the pale side. The orange is not reddish at all.
I'm sure Ramen is healthy, just a little pale The shell is in better condition than
Heine's. Heine's coloring is more vibrant though. It looks like Heine is an active
kid always playing in the open air while Ramen is the nerdy kid playing in the house
protected from the weather

Looks like pastel slider has entirely different coloring DNA? In that case, no
matter what food I give, RES can't become pastel

Anyway, my eye color is very dark brown

[theartbook35]

Thanks, people! I'll try carrots (again). My turtles are starting to like greens, so
I hope they'll eat the carrot slices next time I try it.

Ramen's orange "ears" are toward the pale side. The orange is not reddish at all.
I'm sure Ramen is healthy, just a little pale The shell is in better condition than
Heine's. Heine's coloring is more vibrant though. It looks like Heine is an active
kid always playing in the open air while Ramen is the nerdy kid playing in the house
protected from the weather

Looks like pastel slider has entirely different coloring DNA? In that case, no
matter what food I give, RES can't become pastel

Anyway, my eye color is very dark brown

I think pastel coloring is sort of like a genetic thing, but still normal compared to albinism.

Lol, yay, now we know what colors eyes we have... how awkward... -_-;;

[Gianni989]

Dude... A blue turtle would be awesome actually...

Hm... Perhaps its time to food color Dougs diet...

[Caphits]

Im pretty sure that food coloring wont change the turtles body color.

It will just be digested out. I think...