Turtle Care
Turtles are fascinating animals, so it's no wonder that so many people are tempted to bring them home and keep them as a pets. However, much like other reptiles, turtles need special care and plenty of attention. There aren't as many steps you need to take as you would with a new dog or cat, but keeping your turtle healthy is vital. Some turtles can die in captivity due to a lack of attention and care, but if you are committed to looking after a turtle, you can enjoy his or her company decades.
What Turtles Need
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Housing  - Turtles can be kept indoors or outdoors, either in a large fish tank or an outdoor pond.
- If you choose not to keep your turtle in a pond, a decent alternative is a large Rubbermaid tub. However, such a life for a turtle is kind of sad, so it may be best only to get a turtle if you have the resources and space to build a backyard pond.
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Lighting - Good lighting is essential for the physical and psychological health of your turtle, or any reptile.
- If regular sunlight isn't an option, use a UV-B ray replacement. Look for ReptiSun or ESU's Reptile Combo-Lights.
- Basking lights and/or blacklights are unnecessary, but pet shops may try to convince you otherwise.
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Food - By nature, most turtles are carnivores. However, it's best to feed your pet turtle commercial diets, which are fortified with vitamins and minerals, and eliminate the risk of your turtle contracting a disease through contaminated food.
- ZooMed's Aquatic Turtle Food and Kaytee's Turtle Food are great options for feeding your turtle a commercial diet.
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If you build it, they will come
Generally, it's ideal to keep turtles in an outdoor pond for the sake of giving them ample space, plenty of sunlight and the freedom to enjoy a water supply whenever they may feel the need. These are a few examples of these kinds of turtles. - Ornate Box Turtles
- Three Toad Box Turtles
- Rear-Eared Slider Turtles
However, there are instances where keeping turtles indoors (and even in tanks) are acceptable, and even required for the well being of your pet.
There are a few good examples of turtles that should be kept inside for their own well being. More often than not, turtles that should be kept indoors require a consistent temperature in their living environment, making an outdoor living arrangement potentially dangerous to the turtle's health. - Flower-Back Turtles
- Chinese Box Turtles
- Malaysian Box Turtles
- Any turtles from the Amazon River
A good rule of thumb is to keep any aquatic turtles in terrariums, so as to control the climate in which they're living. Land turtles can be kept in terrariums, but tend to need a lot of room to roam, so keeping them in outdoor ponds would be best. Hatchlings, no matter where they're best suited, should be kept indoors, and adults turtles tend to do best outdoors.
Things to look for
When caring for a turtle, you can keep it indoors, or try to recreate its natural habitat in your backyard, which will allow your pet to hibernate in the fall. While your turtle is hibernating, it's important not to disturb them. Turtles that don't properly hibernate are prone to liver disease, so it's important to let the little guy relax. Owners should offer complete diets, including turtle and terra-pin specific foods.
In terms of a tank, you should look for something that can hold at least 40 gallons of water, and have enough room for a land area and a water area, similar to the Half and Half tank used for frogs. Two thirds should be reserved for water, and the other third for land. Turtles require about 12 hours of sunlight, which can be simulated by using a UV lamp. This will allow the turtle to maintain the level of vitamin D3 it requires to stay healthy. Turtles also require a little shelter to which it can go to when it gets tired of being out in the open. There's not much to buy in order to do this, as it can be done by using either carefully selected wood or stones.
Things to avoid
Like any pets, there are a few things to avoid when caring for your turtle. Steer clear of using wood chips at the bottom of a tank. These are fine for rodents, but unsuspecting turtles may try to ingest them, presenting a great danger to it. Wood chips also get contaminated with mold and fungus easily, and large amounts of them could prove to be fatal. It's also not ideal to take it out of it's living arrangement to show to your friends. Constant changes in temperature may send the poor animal into shock. You should also keep the turtle out of the reach of small children or other house pets.
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