How to Look After Turtles and Terrapins

There is a lot to consider when you want to keep a turtle or terrapin as a pet. Some people assume, wrongly as it turns out, that having a pet turtle is an easy task and does not require a lot of time or work. While it is easier in most respects to keep a turtle as a pet versus, say, a dog that requires loads of time and hands-on care, you need to understand that pet turtles also deserve a lot of attention and love and can live for many decades. In fact, some turtles can live up to a hundred years or more so you should be prepared for a pet that will last you all your life, if not outlive you!

One of the key things to remember when bringing home a turtle or terrapin is that most of them need exactly the right kind of environment. Or two environments, rather, a dry one and a wet, or damp, one. You can have two aquariums for this, or even one aquarium made to your specifications, but make sure you’ve got enough space in your house somewhere for this. You will also need to provide the right kind of lighting and temperature control so your turtle can lead a happy life and feels comfortable while switching environments as well. The lighting especially should be as close to daylight as possible so the turtle can follow the natural rhythms of the day. In fact, you can even have your aquarium outdoors as long as you’re sure there are no ‘predators’ (dogs or other pets) around that are going to harass, traumatize or even kill your turtle.

There should also be a constant supply of fresh water available for them which should generally be placed between the two aquariums or in their dry environment. And keep an eye out for any changes in your pet’s behavior or appearance. Some diseases or illnesses manifest themselves as odd behavior (not eating, not moving etc) or as changes in the shells (lighter color, texture going funny and so forth). So keep that eagle eye out and check your pets regularly.

It is possible to form a bond with your pet turtle as long as you are committed to spending time with it and to being a good pet owner.