Proper turtle care

Pet lovers enjoy buying turtles. They are almost as popular as dogs, and cats. Many turtles really adapt well to living conditions in modern apartments. These reptiles do not require care, so even schoolchildren can take care of them.

What to feed a turtle

Since pet turtles are deprived of their natural habitat and usual diet, they especially need proper and balanced feeding. Turtles need to be fed only after their body temperature reaches optimal. At low temperatures, turtles do not show a good appetite, or even refuse to eat at all. If you cannot feed your pet during the day, you can do it in the evening.

Here are some basic feeding rules:

• Do not give the turtle food with your hands, otherwise it will quickly get used to it and will refuse to eat on its own.
• Try to give the food in the morning.
• During feeding, avoid loud noises near the turtle. If she is very frightened, she may have digestive problems.
• Keep food utensils clean.
• Baby turtles need daily feeding, while adults need feeding every other day.

Now there is quite a large selection of dry food for turtles, but do not limit your pet to only these. The best option would be a combination of dry food and natural food. Suitable for aquatic turtles chicken or beef meat, raw fish, insects, shrimp, offal. Don't neglect plant foods either. Aquatic turtles happily eat cabbage, lettuce, bananas, and dandelions.

For land turtles, provide mostly plant food. They eat almost all plant foods - fruits, vegetables, grass, field herbs, mushrooms, bran.

How to care for a turtle

Turtles need to create suitable conditions. So aquatic pets will need a large aquaterrarium with an island of land. It is necessary to install a lamp on the island under which the pet will bask. Use settled water to fill the aquarium and change it monthly.

Land turtles need a spacious terrarium. Pour a thick layer of soil into it and maintain the temperature at about 25-28 degrees. They also need a heat lamp.

If you have a marsh turtle, then the same terrarium as for an adult will suit it, just pour less water into it and change it more often. The fact is that marsh turtles eat and defecate in the water, which causes it to become polluted faster.

Lamps for a turtle should be used with regular incandescent lamps. It is these lamps that, in addition to light, also provide the warmth that turtles need.

How to wash a turtle

Turtles require bathing depending on the pollution. It is allowed to use soap no more than once a week. Take only filtered or settled water for swimming. Before washing, heat the liquid to a temperature of 36 degrees. Prepare a soft foam sponge and baby soap; in extreme cases, you can replace it with a hypoallergenic one. Do not use other detergents - they cause irritation and discomfort on the turtle's skin.

A regular plastic basin is suitable for washing a turtle. You should not pour a lot of water; the turtle should stand with its paws at the bottom of the basin. If slightly soiled, rinse the turtle with water and wipe with a sponge using gentle, gentle movements. If your pet is thoroughly dirty, wet a sponge and soap it with baby soap. Gently wash off dirt from the turtle with a sponge, and then rinse it with water.

When you're done bathing, pat your turtle dry with paper towels and apply olive oil to its shell. Do not take your pet outside immediately after bathing, even in summer.

House for a turtle

If you want to create additional amenities for your pet, then you can build a small house from available materials. For example, cut a flower pot vertically and place it on the ground in a terrarium. It will make a great home.

In the same way, you can make a house from half a coconut. If you know how to craft, you can put together a turtle house out of plywood yourself. A wicker basket turned on its side will serve perfectly as a house. For your pet's comfort, place a straw bedding inside the house.