New Turtle Owners Information When Buying Your First Turtle
What is the right turtle for you?
It’s not as simple as you may think to take care of a turtle as a pet.Turtles are not the best pets for children.Turtles are not good pets for children. They can bite, and don’t like to be touched. However, they make great pets to watch.Consider your resources, the space available in your home, and what type of Turtle Food is best for you. Also, consider whether a turtle would be suited to you and your family.
Most turtles are kept as pets. These include the Box turtle, Red-eared Slider, Painted turtle, Reeves’, Wood turtle, and Caspian Pond turtle.These turtles are semi-aquatic and aquatic.Look at the shells. Box turtles look more tortoise-like, while fully aquatic turtles are flat and streamlined.
These turtles have a life expectancy of over 25 years. Some, such as the Box turtle, even go up to 80 years.
Turtles have different temperaments.
The adult shell can range from 6 inches to 12 inches.Turtles purchased from pet stores are often juveniles and have a lot of growth to do.
Families with children should be aware that turtles can carry salmonella. This bacteria can cause illness in infants, elderly people, and immune compromised individuals.Families with children younger than 5 years old are advised to avoid owning turtles.To avoid becoming sick, always wash your hands immediately after handling turtles or their habitat.
Turtle or Tortoise: Which is it?
Turtles can be found in ponds, pond habitats and other water habitats.Tortoises, on the other hand, prefer arid and dry environments.Different habitats are required, and some prefer to be kept in outdoor enclosures.
Red-eared sliding, for instance, prefers an environment similar to that of an aquarium, with plenty of space for swimming, and places above the water for resting and relaxing.Box turtles prefer a land-based environment, with a small wading area for cooling down.Not all households are suited to both the land turtle and the water turtle.
You should know the outdoor temperatures if you plan to keep your turtle outside.Arizona may be the perfect location for a Russian Tortoise, which loves warm, dry weather, but a paint turtle needs a large pond, and this could dry up.A Russian tortoise would die in an outdoor enclosure located in Maine due to the cold and humidity.
It is easier to keep turtles and tortoises inside, but depending on the turtle, you may need a 75-gallon aquarium.Turtles that are smaller can be housed in a smaller tank, such as a 40 Gallon until they grow out of it.It’s true that bigger tanks are easier for you to clean, and turtles enjoy having more room to move around.
Turtle Fun Facts
Turtles are incredible creatures, even though they can be difficult to keep as pets.Turtles are amazing creatures.
Some turtles can hibernate up to nine months of the calendar year.
Turtles have existed for more than 200 million years.
The oldest tortoise known was the Indian Ocean Giant Tortoise, which lived for 152 years (after being likely 50 years old).
Turtles can be found on six of the seven continents, except Antarctica.
The 60 bones that make up a turtle shell.
How to care for a pet turtle
Turtles need more care and attention than fish but less than an active animal such as a cat or dog.You should still know how to take care of a turtle before buying one.You can prepare yourself for the tasks that lie ahead.These steps will make your turtle happy.
1.How to Set up a Turtle’s Home
Turtles are divided into two groups based on habitat: terrestrial turtles and aquatic turtles.The box turtle is a terrestrial turtle.All over the world, they are found in moist areas such as the mossy part of forests.If you live in an area with an average temperature of 75-85 degrees, an outdoor pen that has high walls and a roof to keep predators away is the ideal habitat for box turtles.
Box turtles are fond of digging, so provide them with plenty of dirt, potting earth, shredded paper or carpet scraps to keep them happy.Box turtles need moisture in order to survive. Include moist soil, rotting leaves, and a shoe box for the turtle to crawl under.You should never put your turtle outside in a tank made of glass.Glass will heat up and cook your pet.The turtles need a place with clean water to swim in, as well as dry ground where they can hide, rest and bask.Your turtle should have enough room to move in a tank that holds at least 40 gallons. Line the bottom of its tank with small rocks to allow it to dig around.A large rock or floating tree log can be placed in the middle to create a private island where your turtle can sunbathe.
You can also decorate the tank with plants, provided they aren’t poisonous for your turtle (it will likely nibble on them).You can also use plants like Amazon swords and anachris to supplement your turtle’s diet.Use natural spring water to fill your turtle’s drinking and swimming water.Both terrestrial and aquatic turtles require basking. Tap water can contain fluorine and chlorine, which can affect the pH balance of the water and harm your turtle.You will need a basking light (also known as a sunlamp) to simulate the sun’s ultraviolet rays if you keep your turtle inside in an area that does not receive regular exposure to natural sunlight.The sunlight provides turtles with the Vitamin D, calcium and other nutrients they require to be happy and healthy.The sun lamp can be set on a timer to give off 12 hours light, and then turn off for another 12 hours. Or you can adjust the lamp manually.Make sure the lamp is high enough to not burn your turtle.
Turtles of different species require different temperatures in their habitat.Land turtles are able to retain body heat longer than aquatic turtles.It is important to determine the exact temperature required for your turtle species. However, as a rule of thumb, keep the tank at 80 degrees during daylight hours and 70 degrees at night.
2.Installing Temperature Control
Turtles have a cold blooded nature and need a constant temperature to survive.Turtles like temperatures between 60-90 degrees Fahrenheit.Turtles can survive in temperatures as low as 50 degrees Fahrenheit at night. However, anything below that temperature will cause them to hibernate or become sick.For aquatic turtles it is best to warm the water and use a basking lamp to warm the air.
3.Find out how long your turtle should hibernate
Turtles hibernate for varying amounts of time. You should be aware of this and know what to do to make sure your turtle is comfortable.Turtle owners with more experience will allow their turtles hibernate inside the refrigerator, or bury them outside.
4.You Can Provide Food
Turtle food is varied and healthy. It includes live insects, flaked and fresh food, vitamin A, and other nutrients to ensure that they thrive.You can find food for turtles at pet stores & fish stores.You can also give your turtle fresh foods such as lettuce, bugs and worms, fish and other plants.
5.Frequently change the water in your tank and clean it.
Turtles require fresh food and clean water daily (if they’re not hibernating).Even if your aquarium or cage has a filtration system or other maintenance device, it should still be cleaned on a regular basis.Water aquariums must be filtered. If the tank begins to smell, the water needs to change.
6.Don’t play with your turtle too often
Turtles become stressed when handled.Turtles are not good playmates, and it is better to treat them as something you can look at than touch.Even with their hard shells, turtles can be hurt easily if they are dropped or thrown.
7.Wash your hands
You should wash your hands after touching your turtle, or anything else in its cage. Otherwise, you could get salmonella.
What do turtles eat?
Know where and what to buy turtle feed?The breed of turtle is the most important factor.The reason saltwater turtle food differs from pet turtle foods is that they eat something different in the wild.Turtle food lists may include fruit and vegetables, proteins, and turtle bites.
Turtle food that contains ingredients found in nature is best.
