Some species can live a long time. Pet turtles can enjoy a long life as well if you create a turtle habitat that is much like their natural living area. Doing the proper research for the type of turtle you have is a key factor in creating a turtle habitat that will allow your pet to thrive.
The Set Up You Will Need for Your Turtle Habitat
Most people that are turtle owners keep their pets indoors. Others create a turtle habitat outside to allow the turtle their hibernation period. Some people that keep their pets indoors put them in the refrigerator in the fall and take them out in the latter part of spring to allow them to hibernate. This is not a good idea. There are many things that can go wrong with this scenario such as a power outage or a rise in temperature suddenly that may wake your turtle from his slumber. This can even prove fatal so it is best that your pet doesn't hibernate if it is to be kept indoors.
The first thing you will need is a tank of at least 40 gallons. Your turtle habitat will need to be able to have room in which to roam, water in which to swim and a feeding area, so extra room is always recommended.
Besides a tank, you should invest in a heat lamp so that your turtle can bask in the "sun." The proper temperature at which your turtle should be kept depends a lot on the species of turtle you own. Land turtles are able to maintain their body heat for a longer period of time than can aquatic turtles. To be on the safe side, allow the daytime temperature to stay at around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. In the evening, you can lower the temperature to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Your turtle does not like a sudden temperature change, so unless you can take out your turtle in an area that mimics the temperature in the tank, it is best to leave them alone. Changes in temperatures adversely affect reptiles and can compromise their immune system. Being cold blooded creatures, their bodies take much longer to adapt to sudden temperature changes.
What Should Be Added To The Turtle Habitat To Make It Feel Like Home?
Adding non poisonous vegetation to your turtle habitat is fine. They will often munch on these plants so make sure they will not harm your turtle. You will want to avoid using wood chips or the bark of a tree for your turtle habitat as your turtle may get sick from eating them. These items will also grow mold, mildew and fungus quickly. Your turtle habitat should also contain a place to use as shelter when they want to retreat from the world. This can be made of wood or stones that have been selected carefully.
Be sure your turtle habitat is kept away from curious little fingers and out of the way of other pets you may have. A turtle is smart enough to know who his friend is and who is not. Giving your pet the ideal habitat will allow you and your family to enjoy your turtle for many years.
Pet Turtle Care Tip #1
Turtles are members of the Reptile family and they are some of the oldest living creatures on the planet. They have been around for more than two hundred million years. This makes them as old as the dinosaurs. There are hundreds of different kinds of turtles all over the planet.
Pet Turtle Care Tip #2
Sea turtles are the most popular of all of the turtles. These are also some of the largest creatures—some sea turtles can grow to more than six feet in length and weigh hundreds of pounds. Scientists think that sea turtles are actually land creatures that went back into the water and never came out. Over time their limbs evolved to make them stronger swimmers and to keep them in the water: their front appendages are actually flippers.
Pet Turtle Care Tip #3
All turtles, even sea turtles, are air breathing creatures. While some turtles can stay under the water for hours at a time, they all must surface at least once a day to stay alive. There is one turtle, the giant turtle that only has to surface once a day to take in air. There are some studies being done to see if some species of turtle might be able to draw oxygen from their cells much like some fish use their gills to breathe.
