Fun Facts
- Turtles don’t have ears, but they’re not deaf. Thin flaps of skin cover internal ear bones, which receive vibrations
and low-frequency sounds. - Water turtles generally live 30-40 years, but box turtles and tortoises can live between 50-100 years.
- Most shells are made up of 60 different bones that are all fused together.
- To make room inside their shells, they sometimes exhale air out of their lungs, making a hissing sound.
- Most turtles are omnivores, meaning they eat a mixture of prey and vegetables.
Nutrition
Most turtles are omnivorous; however, the diets of the various kinds you can get have a habit of changing from the time they hatch until their
adulthood. There are several different kinds of turtles, which all have their own varied diets. Land breeds are primarily
herbivores, a pond turtle would be primarily omnivores, and the box variety are also primarily omnivores.
This article breaks down the
differing diets of various different breeds.
Basic Hygiene
Turtles do not reuire any particular type of cleaning, and in fact, it is generally best practice to handle them as little
as possible. They can become stressed when picked up, and if picked up out of their tank, any sudden changes in temperature
could harm their immune system. Salmonella is also relatively common in most breeds of this pet, so that is another reason to handle them as
litle as possible and keep them away from any eating areas. If you have a turtle that requires water in its habitat, it is
important to make sure there is no chlorine in it. This post
will tell you more about what kind of water to use for pet turtles.
Living Environment
Because there are many different species of turtles that can be kept as pets, there are many different types of environments
that one may need to house them in. For most water breeds, you’ll need to acquire a water tank that is an appropriate size
for your pet. These tanks range from between 15 gallons to 40 gallons typically. A place for your turtles to bask on land
is also necessary to have in your tanks. Most turtles also require UVB lighting, as do most reptiles. Some species, like the
popular Eastern Box variety, do no require water tanks but terrariums. In this case you can acquire a 15 to 40 gallon tank, but
leave it dry save for drinking water. Tanks can get dirty fairly quickly, so it is important to regularly clean your turtles
tank.