Care and Food of Fresh-water Turtles.
Several members ask about the care and food of turtles—really fresh-water tortoises. They should be kept in a tank or vessel, with some sort of an island upon which they may crawl when tired of swimming. The best food for them is fresh animal food—flies, worms, or very tiny live fish. If a live fly is put on the water so that it will kick, the tortoise will come up and get it, as he will not be so apt to do with a dead one. A worm may be dropped in for him once in a while; but as these are sometimes hard to find, he may be fed with bits of meat, raw or cooked. As a rule, tortoises will not eat vegetables or bread, though these will not hurt them. They can go for a long time without food, but it is better to feed them every day.