Ornate box turtles have one of the largest natural ranges of any box turtle species occupying nearly all of the American midwest.  Ornate box turtles are easily identified by their dark brown carapace with bright yellow markings radiating from the upper posterior section of each coastal shield.  Ornate box turtles are omnivorous and enjoy both plant and animal protein.  Many breeders and experts agree that a proper balanced diet is around 60% animal protein and 40% plant matter.

For animal protein Box Turtles enjoy crickets, mealworms, superworms, hornworms or earthworms, all will make excellent sources of protein.  To provide plant matter to the diet it is suggested to use mustard greens, collard greens or dandelion greens.  To round out the plant matter offering, leaf lettuce and kale are suggested.  Calcium is very important in the diet of the Box Turtle and a natural way to provide the needed calcium is to offer Calciworms®.  Calciworms® should be offered 3 to 5 times a week.  Additional supplemental insects are Waxworms, Waxworms are intended to be used to add fat to a turtles diet or the occasional treat. Box Turtles need lots of clean water and their supply should be changed daily.    

Staple Diet:
Crickets, Mealworms, Superworms, Hornworms, Greens (Timberline Reptile Salad) and Fruit

Supplement:
Waxworms (to add fat) and CalciWorms® (to add calcium in a natural method)