Turtles as Pets

Turtles are a wonderful animal to keep as pets. Though they aren't cuddly, and won't play fetch, they are still cute and great pets. If you are thinking about getting a turtle for a pet, it's important to get all of the facts before you're in over your head.

Before buying a turtle,buy a book about keeping turtles as pets, and then decide from there what type of turtle plus what food they eat and how they live. It will also have tips for when turtles get sick. Also consider laws and regulations on the transportation and housing of certain species of turtle. Be sure not to purchase turtles that are among these regulated turtles. Most pet stores won't sell these turtles, but it's important to check out the species you buy before buying a turtle.

Housing Your Turtle
Once you've decided the turtle you want to get, you should find where he lives in the wild, so you can build a happy home most closely related so he can be as happy as possible. Aquatic turtles require a tank or aquarium, the kind for fish work great. If possible, buy a large one so that your turtle can grow and still have lots of room to swim. But, It's important to give turtles a bit of land to rest on.

Land turtles can live indoors, but often require lots of space, especially if they are big. Small tortoises and box turtles can live in an aquarium (without water). Make sure they have plenty of light, but if you put light too close, you can hurt their eyes. If you decide to keep your turtle outdoors, make sure you get a good fence around the area, buried 30cm under ground because you don't want your turtle running away! Keeping your turtle outdoors is a great way to keep your turtle happy and healthy, after all, turtles in the wild don't live in condos, so it's most natural that yours won't. But, if you cannot accommodate your turtle outside, your turtle will still be happy indoors.

Food
Food is very important because without food, your turtle will not last very long. Some turtles are carnivores, while others are herbivores. Most of the time, it's the land turtles who are herbivores, but it's best to ask to people at the pet store before you buy 50 lbs of lettuce for a turtle that eats worms. You can buy food in packaging for both kinds of eaters. Tortoises often like lettuce, which is good because it's inexpensive and easy to get, but be sure you use a leafy lettuce rather than the less vitamin rich iceburg lettuce

If Your Turtle Gets Sick
Take if to your vet. The vet can prescribe antbiotics for your turtle or help it get better. Do note, many diseases are caused by improper care, so if you see a vet, he can tell what you are doing wrong. Unless you know what you are doing, it is always best to seek care from a vet or reptile expert.

Of course, the best way to deal with illness is to prevent it. To do this, make sure you are feeding your turtle properly, have the turtle in good living quarters, and the turtle is kept clean. If you have a water turtle, make sure you change the water often. If this is too much trouble, you can buy a filter that will replace it automatically. Take care of turtle, and if you see a problem, try to fix it early, because your turtle may not survive if you don't. Don't try to cure a sick turtle yourself unless you are a trained vet.