turtles diet

Question
I'm doing a brochure for my class over turtles the turtles are a red-eared turtle and a painted turtle. but I need to know what they eat and im not talking bout pet food type like plants and stuff please help!!! i also need to know about the breeding and the lifespan please get back to me as soon as you can thank you soo much for all your help         -Chelsea

Answer
Hi Chelsea, Red ear sliders and painted turtles would both eat aquatic vegetation but I'm not familiar with the actual names of wild aquatic plants. In addition they will feed on fish, frogs, tadpoles, snails, crayfish, insects and anything else they can catch. They need to be in the water to feed. In captivity these turtles can live for 25 - 40 years but likely don't live that long in the wild due to predators. They mate in the spring (March - June) and come onto the land to bury their eggs in the early summer (May to July). It takes about 2 to 3 months for the eggs to hatch. The female does not care for the young in any way.