Turtles can be great pets and it’s a fact that children
love turtles as their pets. These animals are very fascinating. And there are
several types of them too.
If you decide to take a turtle for your pet, try to learn more about these
animals first. They require proper care and a certain level of attention. There
are some species that can be taken cared of by humans while there are others
can’t be taken away from their natural habitats.
Generally speaking, there are two types of turtles that you can take home - the
aquatic and the terrestrial types. Terrestrial turtles need a lot of time on
land while aquatic turtles need to be in water most of the time. It is important
that you know which type of turtle you’ve got so you can take care of it
properly.
For terrestrial turtles, you have to prepare a big tank and some mud. Mud
turtles need twelve hours worth of sunlight every day. If you can’t take them
outside, use a UV lamp instead. Terrestrial turtles also need to be in a place
with a temperature of 80 degrees during the day and 70 at night. And while these
pets prefer the land, they also need fresh water to drink and swim about.
As for the aquatic turtles, the common species are the painted turtles and the
sliders. The sliders want swampy areas. They live near the lakes that have lots
of mud. They tend to go out in the sun in broad daylight and then swim during
the night to cool off. But then, they still have to spend more time submerged in
the water than out in the sun. Between the sliders and the painted turtles, the
latter is the specie that is a lot harder to take care of because of the special
things it needs.
At this point, you should have decided on the type of turtle you want. The next
thing to think about is the size of the tank you’ll buy. You normally need a 40
gallon tank - or larger if you want a larger specie or if you want to take care
of more than one turtle. The bigger the tank you have, the better your pet can
move around in the water and over the land.
Plants are required, but you have to be sure that they’re
not poisonous. Don’t put barks and wood chips in the tank either, as bacteria
and moulds might form on them. Turtles tend to munch on these things too,
although their digestive tract can’t handle it. Instead, add some small rocks
and mud for the turtle to play on.
As for food, your pet would need berries, lettuce, and some feed sticks. Some
species eat goldfish and insects too. You also have to be very particular about
the water these pets drink and swim on. Use mineral or spring water instead of
tap water in the tank.
The chemicals and chlorine in tap water can be very harmful to your turtle pet.
Chlorine and other chemicals in the tap water can cause bacteria in their
digestive systems.
