Care for Turtles

Turtles are amazing animals that make great pets. They may be slow on land but they're cute and fascinating. Before purchasing a turtle, it's important to be as knowledgeable as possible about how to care for a turtle from youth to old age, as well as being ready for the commitment turtle ownership involves. Owning a turtle is a lifelong commitment and knowing what's ahead of you will help you to make the right decision. Turtle care requires a focus on housing, nutrition, health and good hygiene.

Steps

What's a Turtle?

  1. Know the characteristics of a turtle before owning one. What are turtles, tortoises and terrapins? It all depends on where you come from!
    • Turtles: In America, most Chelonian turtles are referred to as turtles, whether from land or water. In Britain and Australia, turtle refers only to marine species.
    • Tortoises: In America and Britain, this tends to refer to land species, while in Australia (which has no land tortoises), this means freshwater species.
    • Terrapins: In Britain, this refers to freshwater species, while in America, it refers to the Diamondback terrapins Malaclemys terrapin.
    • The article follows American the convention for turtles.

Choosing a Turtle

  1. Find a suitable turtle retailer. Good quality pet stores will usually be able to supply you with a turtle but they might not have the breed you are interested in, so call before going. Breeders can also be found online and through local reptile societies.
  2. Have enough funds. Turtles are not cheap and will set you back quite a bit of money. Find out ahead of time how much you'll need to spend to get a turtle and its living needs (housing, food, etc.).
  3. Check your local laws. Some countries and states require a licence to keep turtles and tortoises.

Housing Your Turtle

  1. Choose a house according to the species of turtle and size. For example:
    • Hardy land tortoises: Needs land and a small amount of water. These turtles tend to be temperate to sub-tropical and need a hibernation period. Many can cope well with outdoor enclosures that are properly fenced in, with adequate shelter provided. Lawn and weedy patches are useful additions to the "pen". As they can burrow, the wire will need to extend under the ground a little way. Something to bathe in is important for warmer and hot weather environments.
    • Tropical land tortoises: Needs a warmer environment; can be kept outside when it's warm but will need to be indoors for most of the year. You will need to consider additional heating and ways to provide adequate humidity for the tortoise (heating tanks/pads, etc.) A terrarium is one option for such tortoises.
    • Aquatic turtles: Needs an adequate amount of water. The amount of land needed varies dependent on the species; some are almost totally aquatic will be fine with an aquarium tank unless you wish to also breed them, in which case they'll need a little land too.
    • Make sure you have at least 10 gallons per inch. Ex: Your turtle is 5 inches, that would mean that you needed a 50 gallon tank.
  2. Choose the right equipment to fill the housing with. The precise details on what is needed for your species of turtle will vary depending on its own particular needs. Some general observations on what might prove useful are
    • Indoor turtle: If you are going to have an indoor turtle, you will need a tank, some source of heat light (powerful lamps are generally used-–ask the pet shop retail assistant how many watts it should be), some sort of rock or a place where it can bask and get completely dry (if your turtle is over a certain weight then floating basking "islands" are not recommended.), and if needed, water for it to swim in (on some sort of angle so there are deep and shallow parts). You'll also need pebbles or small rocks for the rest of the basic base. Ask pet shop retailer for more advice for what to have in the tank.
    • Outdoor turtle: An outdoor turtle enclosure should be located in a sunny place with lots of safe vegetation. You will need a pond (it doesn't have to be big) or a bathtub, as they sometimes like to go for a little swim even though they do generally stay out of water. Have little plants in the pond and nice rocks around it. Also for an outdoor turtle, an enclosed hut like place for him to cuddle into at night. Green plants are good for your turtle to just hang around in. You will need a very good fence around the whole enclosure, as turtles are very good escape artists. Even have the fence half a meter under the ground so that your turtle can't climb under it.
  3. Ensure your choice of breed is appropriate. There are lots of different types. Some are stubborn and bite a lot, while others are a little more shy. Consider a Bathe a Russian Tortoise. These turtles are much easier to handle for those children who want to have experiences with turtles but are wary of reptiles as they are less likely to be confrontational.
  4. Buy and set up its habitat and items to house it nicely. Some turtles are basking turtles, so they prefer to stay in waters for long periods of time. Russian turtles are one of those turtles that prefer the water over the sunlight. Turtles are also cold blooded, so they might wander around looking for warm places.
    • Consider a really big tank or aquarium. It must be big and spacious because turtles can grow more faster than you might expect.
    • A turtle's habitat must contain two important things - a land where the turtle will dry itself and stay under the purchased SUV light to keep itself warm and dry, and a water part of the tank for the turtle to keep itself cool and happy. Most turtles are what is said to be basking turtles, so this setup is ideal.
    • A small cave or a dark place where the turtle might want to refuge in if it is uncomfortable of its surroundings after being recently brought into its new habitat (optional).
  5. Put it in a suitable place. It cannot be near anywhere cold unless you want your turtle to freeze. It must also not be anywhere too hot or it will make your turtle upset, and upset turtles are stubborn and they bite!

Feeding Your Turtle

  1. Get the right type of food. You will hear many different food preferences that turtles have. The best advice is to try them all, provided you know it is safe for the turtle to eat. Turtles are very picky when it comes to food.
    • Outdoor turtles: Land tortoises are mostly herbivorous and will happily eat most safe green foliage. Grass and weeds are much loved, along with shredded cabbage/ romaine lettuce (iceberg lettuce is not very nitrous), broccoli, tomatoes. Fruits they like include strawberries, raspberries, dandelion flowers, pears, apples, and peaches. *Only feed them fruits 1-2 times a month because they are sugary.
    • Indoor turtles: Semi-aquatic and aquatic turtles are more carnivorous than the herbivorous land/outdoor turtles and will appreciate freshwater shrimp, crayfish, grasshoppers, slugs, snails, etc. Make sure that the meat is not fried or fatty (such as hamburger meat) Earthworms and mealworms are a treat, as are bugs like pillbugs and crickets. Some greens, veggies and fruit should also be added to their diets to ensure adequate nutrition (no spinach, bananas, or iceberg lettuce though!)
    • Cut all food into small bite-size pieces; turtles are used to ripping food away from anchored plants, and need small pieces to reach their mouths. If feeding your turtle cat or dog food, or leftover meat, make sure it is in bite-size pieces, and only feed it on rare occasions.
    • In some cases, your turtle might like frozen fish food, about 1 to 2 squares each feed. Ask a turtle expert for more advice.
    • Know the food preferences for your species of turtle; do your reading first, as the needs vary depending on the species. It's also important to know what not to feed your turtle and to make all householders and guests aware of this, for the sake of the turtle's well-being.
  2. Be aware that turtles do not need food every day. Feed the turtle only every other day, unless otherwise advised for your specific species.
  3. Keep your hand away from the mouth of the turtle you're offering food to. A bite can really hurt you, even if accidental.
  4. Most store bought turtle pellets don't feed turtles enough. Turtles have quite an appetite for small critters. They tend to eat more than we think and not feeding your turtle for a whole day can make it very depressed and unhappy, so feeding a turtle requires at least twice or once a day depending on how much it eats. Do not over-feed it.
  5. Break your turtle's food down even further. Turtles mostly crush their food. Because turtles have no teeth, they are required to crush their pellets, and this also makes it difficult for them to enjoy eating. There are also chances that their pellets are stuck in their mouth, so before feeding your turtle their pellets, wet some of it and break a few into tiny bite size pieces. This eases the turtle while eating it, and also helps the turtle to digest better.
  6. Get rid of extra pellets! Some turtles tend to leave some of their pellets floating in water. This causes the water to smell very badly, depending on the turtle's food. So always make sure to scoop out extra floating pellets to avoid clouding the water and making it tainted.

Maintaining Hygiene

  1. Consider buying your turtle some tank mates such as Plecos, Cichlids, Goldfish, and snails.
  2. Change 25% of the aquarium water every 7 days. Never remove all of the water as this will remove the good bacteria that is necessary for a healthy tank; also don't forget to use a water ager to remove all chlorine, chloramine and fluoride from the tap water and add a good quality beneficial bacteria starter (Biostarter).
    • Maintain your filter! Never change all filter media at once; this is the home of your good bacteria. Only ever rinse the filter in clean aged tap water.
  3. Change drinking water daily. Rotate drinking containers to always ensure only a clean one is used each day.
  4. Remove as much uneaten food as possible after 2 days of serving it. Otherwise, it will rot and can be a source of bacterial infection. It will also smell most unpleasant.
  5. Remove fecal pellets daily with a small shovel. This is important for dry land terrariums or cages. Clean any soiled spots thoroughly.
  6. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly before and when done handling your turtle. All animals can pass on infections, disease and parasites and it is good practice to wash hands after handling them. In turn, you can pass on the same to the animal, so wash your hands before handling the animal too.

Spending Time with Your Turtle

  1. Hold your turtle. When you first get your turtle, try not holding it for at least 3 weeks. Turtles are very timid animals and will need time to adjust to their new environment. But with time, your turtle will grow to trust you and if so, that's a magnificent thing. Ask the pet shop retailer if it's in your turtle's nature to bite––keep your hands well clear of the mouth if this is likely to be an issue.
    • If your turtle bites you, simply leave him alone for a week or so; clean your skin with anti-bacterial lotion and if the bite breaks skin, see your doctor immediately to check for and treat any bacterial transfer that might have occurred.
  2. Enjoy your turtle. Turtles live for the same time as a human (even longer sometimes!) so you must be in a position to care and love your turtle for a lifetime. If this is not something you're prepared to do, or you're not able to make hand-on arrangements, this isn't the pet for you.

Picking Tank Mates for Your Turtle

  1. Avoid any dangerous tank mates. Fish can be a great addition to your turtle's tank but you have to make sure that you pick the right kind of fish. Catfish are not a good tank mate for turtles. If your turtle tries to eat the catfish, then the barbs will get stuck in your turtle's throat and it could potentially die. Also some catfish have poisonous barbs.
  2. Pick some fish that your turtle won't be harmed by - and can eat, if you want. Guppies will make a great addition to any turtle tank. Your turtle will be able to eat them and they are rather fascinating to watch.
  3. Do not buy expensive fish to put inside of the turtle's tank because chances are, it will eat them. Try to buy inexpensive fish like guppies and goldfish.

Specific Species Care Guides

The information provided above is general in nature. For more details relevant to specific species of turtles, please check out one of the following articles:



Tips

  • Read all you can about the types of illnesses and conditions a turtle can get. This will help you to quickly recognize symptoms of the turtle being poorly, and to do something about it quickly.
  • Use organic food for your turtle where possible; non-sprayed food is healthier and safer.
  • If your turtle hibernates, you'll need to provide a suitable environment for this to occur. Use straw or hay for an outdoor turtle and provide sufficient shelter. Provide adequate hibernation shelter for indoor turtles, such as a wooden box or similar.
  • Find a vet who specializes in turtle care. He or she will be able to help quickly should your turtle fall sick.
  • Always ring the pet shop if you're unsure about anything. It's better to do that then search on the internet as they will give you exact information and they can help you physically.

Warnings

  • Keep the turtle's water clean. Your turtle can get sick from dirty water.
  • Always wash your hand after handling your turtle or cleaning the water.
  • The turtle is not a good pet for young children unless adults are prepared to do all of the care work and supervise all encounters.
  • Make sure your outdoor turtle has a very secure fence around it. It is tragic when they run away. And yes, they will try with all their might.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

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