How To Take Care Of A Pet Land Turtle

Keep your turtle in a large glass aquarium.

How to take care of a pet land turtle. Eastern box turtles are not difficult as pets but unlike most turtles on this list they enjoy spending a lot of time on land instead of water so their tank enclosure has to be more of a terrarium than an aquarium. For the rest of the week you can give it melon greens berries and tomatoes. Keep in mind your pet s exact space requirements depend on its species. Hang a heat bulb over the dry side of the habitat if tank temperature dips below 70 f overnight you ll want to get a night specific heat lamp for your reptile friend.

Doing enough research on the kind of turtle you want to take for a pet will enable you to make the right choices for him or her in your time together. In this regard they are more similar to tortoises than turtles. House your turtle in the largest possible enclosure. Whether you have or are considering getting a sulcatta tortoise box turtle painted turtle red eared slider side neck turtle or another kind of turtle you need to make sure you can provide for all of their needs properly.

Fresh water in a dirty environment is moot. As a rule of thumb the enclosure s volume should be 10 us gal 38 l per 1 in 2 5 cm of your turtle s shell length. All turtles require special lighting and heat food a place to hide and an enclosure that keeps them safe. If you purchase your turtle as a baby expect to offer it plenty of tlc and keep the following tips in mind.

Make sure the water isn t too deep. When choosing veggies consider the leafy green such as kales carrot tops lettuce collard green and spinach. Make sure your terrarium s water and air temperature is about 86 degrees fahrenheit and that your baby turtle has access to both land and water. A turtle s environment getting a turtle for a pet is somewhat a lifetime commitment as they are known to live for as long as 25 to 50 years of age.

Box turtles are omnivores so you should feed it slugs snails crickets and other animal matter twice a week. To take care of a land turtle figure out whether you have a tortoise or box turtle since their diets are different. Clean your turtle tank and habitat regularly and thoroughly. Fresh veggies are essential in filling your pet s daily diet.

Harmful bacteria can be thriving even if it s not visible. Your turtle s habitat should have two thermometers one for water temperature and another for the dry side of the tank.