Buying A Pet Turtle And The Three Things You Should Know

Buying a pet turtle is always eventful and for most people it is an exciting day when you are about to go to the pet store to choose the turtle of your choice. When at the pet store though its important to pick a healthy pet turtle. Nobody wants to be in the position where they have made the mistake of bringing home a turtle who has bad health.

To avoid this problem and to make sure that you bring home and are able to identify a healthy pet turtle, here a few signs you should be looking for at the pet store.:

1) Check for signs of bad nutrition.

If the eyes of the turtle is not clear and bright or the turtles eyes are pasted shut this is a sign of poor nutrition and is a problem you as a turtle owner won't want to have, so avoid these kind of turtles when trying to select your ideal pet turtle to bring home for pet turtle care.

2) Make sure that the turtle is breathing properly and does not have any respiratory problems.

The best way to check for this is to look closely at the nose and mouth of the turtle. If there are fluid bubbles or dripping coming from the nose or if there is any wheezing while the turtle breathes then it is very likely that they have a respiratory infection and you should not take on caring for such a turtle as a pet. Without the right kind of care the chances of a turtle with these symptoms living a long life is very slim.

3) Examine the turtles shell condition.

Carefully examine the turtles shell and skin, look for any patches and parts where the scutes or scales are missing or possibly wrinkled. If there is any evidence of this it is an indicator of the turtle having a burn or even a scar injury. These types of injuries to the scutes easily become infected and can later become a big problem. The shell of the turtle should be hard and firm, if it feels thin or gives way easily to pressure from your fingertips then this is a sign that the turtles shell is not properly developed and it's likely that the turtle has had a poor diet that has been lacking in some essential nutrients. It would take a fairly experienced or expert turtle owner to help the turtle restore their shell to maximum strength.

The Signs Of A Box Turtle Eye Infection And How To Treat It

Taking care of box turtles can be a great experience and one that comes with many happy moments. At times there may be complications for example your box turtle may have a box turtle eye infection which is more common than most turtle owners think. As a part of making sure your box turtle has the right box turtle care or pet turtle care (which ever one you prefer lol) its always good to be in the know to deal with such incidents. So here are a few ways you can help your turtle get better in the case of having an eye infection.

If you think your turtle has an eye infection the first thing you should do is look for any other accommodating problems such as your turtle having a runny nose, breathing with their mouth open and wheezing or gasping while taking in breathes of air. If you have spotted any or all of these symptoms then it's very likely that your box turtle has a respiratory infection and will need to see the vet as soon as possible.

If your box turtle has swollen eyes they may be having an allergic reaction to the substrate that you are using in their enclosure. Some turtles are allergic to earthly substrates and will have swelling around the eyes as a result of their allergy towards this sort of bedding. If your using earth or soil based bedding then try replacing the bedding with another and monitoring your turtle for a week or so to see if the swelling goes down. If the swelling continues then you will know that it was not an allergic reaction and your turtles eye problem may have something to do with a lack of vitamin A in their diet.

Vitamin A deficiency can be a cause of swelling in the eyes of box turtles and a way you can treat this is to make sure you are introducing foods that are high in vitamin A as a part of your turtles diet every time you feed them. Foods such as Collard greens, carrots, kale and parsley all contain a good amount of vitamin A and can be added to each meal to help fight against this problem.

Of course if the problem continues then you have no choice but to take your turtle to the vet as soon as possible and it may be a case where in order to cure your box turtle's eye infection the vet will need to give vitamin injections to your box turtle to help them get back to perfect health.

Important vitamins for turtles as pets

Vitamin D3 partners well with calcium and is an aid which helps the absorption of calcium into your turtles body. Naturally in their habitats in the wild, turtles generate vitamin D3 through exposure to sunlight while going about their daily adventures. Most people who have turtles as pets keep them indoors so a good way to ensure your turtle receives this vital vitamin is to have a UVB lamp providing ultraviolet light into a section of their tank for at least 8-10 hrs a day. Ideally it is a lot easier and cheaper to allow your turtle 30 - 40 minutes of sunbathing where you would take the turtle outside into your yard and it can have exposure to natural sunlight every two to three times a week. Those few minutes will be more than enough time for them to generate enough vitamin D3 compared to the 8-10 hrs of artificial light.

One thing to keep in mind is that turtles are not used to extremely cold temperatures so if the weather is not particularly warm in your area it's always better to stick with UVB lighting.

Calcium is extremely important for good turtle shell development and healthy bones in turtles. If there is a lack of calcium in a turtles diet it can cause severe problems to both land and aquatic turtles alike. The shells of aquatic turtles will become soft and rubbery and it's very possible that a young calcium deficient turtle will develop malformed limbs. Land turtles on the other hand can suffer from pyramiding which is a condition that causes the shell of a tortoise to become lumpy and form pyramid like deformations. The cause of pyramiding is through too much protein and not enough calcium in a tortoise's diet. Too much protein causes the turtle to grow at a much quicker rate than usual and this combined with a lack of calcium means the shell cannot expand quickly to keep up.

The best ways to provide calcium into your turtle's diet is to provide them with calcium supplements which can come in few different forms. Calcium supplements for turtles usually come as powder but you can also use cuttlebones which is also used for birds and are a great way to induce calcium into your turtles diet to ensure they have good bone and shell health.

Make sure you buy the phosphurus-free calcium powder to allow your turtle to take in only calcium which will ensure your turtle does not unbalance their calcium to phosphorus ratio.

Having turtles as pets means that you have to make sure that you provide the right housing, diets and care for them. When it comes to the dieting aspect you really have to ensure that you provide your turtle with all the necessary vitamins and nutrients to keep them strong and healthy. Its all a part of providing the best pet turtle care on your part as the owner.

Here are important vitamins that all turtles need to help them remain healthy and well:

Vitamin A is important for your turtle's skin, eyes and mucous membranes. Vitamin A deficiency in a turtle's diet often results in turtles losing their appetites, swollen eyes and a runny nose. These symptoms all point at a condition known as hypovitaminosis A in turtles. A good way to provide your turtle with vitamin A is to feed them foods that are rich in this vitamin and this will be a good way for them to receive the sufficient amount needed.

These foods are:

*Dark leafy greens such as collard greens, mustard greens, Kale and parsley.

*yellow, orange flesh coloured vegetables such as carrots and sweet potatoes

*Cod liver oil: Just drizzle a bit over their food before you give it to.

Feeding turtles: Tips to Make Caring For Turtles easier

Feeding a pet turtle seems like a relatively simply task but with it comes a few complication. Of course it is neccessary part of caring for turtles but there are a few things anyone can do to make it a quick, easy and cleaner experience everytime they do it. Call it common sense or good pet turtle care, whaterver you like..

These are a few tips to keep in mind when your feeding your turtle.

1) Feed your turtle in a separate tank from their aquarium

If you have an aquatic turtle it's always best to feed it in a separate tank or bowl instead of their aquarium. Aquatic turtles in particular are very messy eaters and tend to leave quite a bit of mess behind when it comes to dinner time. Feeding your turtle in a separate tank prevents bits of their food remaining in the aquarium, leaving the tank dirty and ruining the freshness of the water.

2) Supplementing the food with essential vitamins

Before you serve your turtle their food, use this time to drizzle or sprinkle some important vitamins over their food. Two essential vitamins that can be used as dusting or dressing for their food is:

*Calcium
*Vitamin A

Calcium can come in the form of a powder and you can obtain calcium powder from most pet stores or even online from a respectable source. All you have to do is sprinkle the calcium power over their foods and watch them gobble it up. Make sure to buy non-phosphorus calcium powder to ensure you don't unbalance your turtles calcium to phosphorus ratio.

Cod liver oil is a good source of vitamin A and can be drizzled over their vegetables before serving it to them.

3) Feed your tortoise in small amounts

One problem which comes with caring for turtles that owners have is the fact that their tortoise eats food in small amounts and often leaves their vegetables and fruits unattended for long periods of time, occasionally coming back to nibble on it later. The problem with this is if there is a large amount of food left over then it is likely to spoil. A good solution to this problem is to serve your tortoise smaller amounts of meals through the day instead of one large meal all at once.

At every serving of a small meal wait for them to finish their food completely before providing another helping. If this is impractical for you try measuring the amount of food your tortoise consumes in a day and provide them with that, so as to prevent any leftovers and food spoiling. Whatever foods are leftover at the end of the day must be removed you don't want any pest or parasites infecting it and your tortoise eating that down.

Tips on Identifying Your Turtles Gender

Identifying a turtles gender is often a problem that a lot of turtle owners have. It can be very difficult to make a clear judgement on what sex your pet turtle is, as not everyone nows the signs to look for in adult turtles to figure out if they are male or female. Figuring out what sex your turtle is can help you also improve the kind of pet turtle care you give your turtle as you will know how to care for say a female turtle who is pregnant and how to cater to their needs.

So here are a few tips to help you spot the differences:

1) Look for differences in tail length and size

Males will have a much longer and fatter tail than females and if you have two turtles its worth aligning them together to see the difference. If one is male and another is female you will notice that one has a shorter more triangular looking tail which would indicate that it's a female. The other should have a longer more pointy tail which would indicate that it's a male.

2) Does your turtle have long claws?

Another clear indicator of your turtles gender being male is that their claws will be much longer than a female. A female will have noticeably shorter claws than a male. One of the main reasons for this difference is to allow the male to climb onto the females back when mating.

3) Is there a dip or an indent in the shell underneath the turtle?

An indent in the shell underneath a turtle would suggest that your turtles gender is a male; this is another attribute of a male turtle which is designed to give them an advantage when they mate. If you gently run your fingers down this area of a turtles shell you may feel a dip, sometimes it is very clear to see and this would signal that you are holding a male turtle. Females will have a flatter look and feel on the shell underneath them.

Pet Turtle Tricks: Are turtles smart enough?

So many people have their doubts about turtles learning tricks. Turtles are definitely not as smart as some domestic house pets such as dogs or cats as their brains are not as developed. Even though this is the case it is possible to teach a pet turtle tricks as a part of your pet turtle care. Its possible yes but its harder to do then to say..

In fact there are three things which I think you will need to make it easier to teach your turtle new things and these are...

1) The age of the turtle

Young turtles are much easier to teach turtle tricks than older more mature ones. Unfortunately it's a case of not being able to teach old turtles new tricks because the older ones get stuck in... yep you guessed it, their old ways. Younger turtles from the ages of a year old are ideal to start practicing with and if your patient and make it a routine you'll notice the progress.

2) The species of turtle

Some species of turtle are smarter than others and trying to train them will be easier. A Snapping turtle for example will be much harder to train than a box turtle as box turtles are reasonably intelligent turtles. The majority of turtles can learn new things but some are just a little slower than others.

3) How good a bond you have with your pet

To really help your turtles development, you have to have a good bond with them. If your turtle is uncomfortable or scared of you it will be difficult to even get them to come out of their shells around you. If your turtle bites you when you try to touch it, this is also a clear sign that it does not trust you so in cases like this you have to take the time to build trust between you and your turtle and only then can you take things further by teaching them turtle tricks.

Constructing the Perfect Turtle or Terrapin Tank

When you first buy a turtle or terrapin and bring them home you should already know what is necessary for them to be housed in to provide the best pet turtle care. A major contributing factor of how their house is built and designed should be their species, because every turtle species has their own need and requirements. Remember there are many turtles but they all live in different habitats so the home or environment you provide for them should replicate or be similar to that of the wild.

If you have decided to bring home a pet turtle or terrapin, you should know what is necessary to house them comfortably to provide the right pet turtle care . Depending on the kind of pet turtle or terrapin that you choose, each has its own needs and requirements for living a healthy and happy life in your home. Generally there are a few needs that most turtles have in common as far as their habitat is concerned.

The wet aquarium should consist of water that is at the right temperature for them. It need to constant filtration and regular cleaning. It should also include the right levels of other materials such as rocks, plants and comfortable places for your turtle to bask on. Your aquarium should maintain a constant temperature between environments to help your pet turtle or terrapin adapt to the change between wet and dry more easily. You should also make sure you place a constant supply of fresh water in a shallow container in the dry environment for them.

Their feedings should be done in water as they cannot swallow otherwise and you will need to keep both environments clean on a regular basis. Some pet owners make the mistake of thinking that their pet turtles and pet terrapins do not require a lot of care and cleaning, but in point of fact turtles would keep themselves very clean in their natural environment. So you need to make sure there are kept safe from any possibility of bacteria or soft-shell disease.

The water should not be too deep and the basking ground should be made of small pebbles and flat stones so that it is more comfortable for the turtle. The basking ground should either be in a very sunny spot, with natural, unfiltered sunlight or be lit by an ultraviolet (or UV) lamp. Reptile UV lamps are available at most pet stores and you should certainly invest in one for the health and well-being of your turtle and to provide the right pet turtle care.

Choosing the Right Turtle food

Different turtles have different dietary needs so as a turtle owner this is something you need to to take into consideration. Even though there are a few differences between the meals of certain turtle species there are vitamins and minerals that all turtles need in order to be healthy and strong. These can be given to them through feeding them foods that contain the vitamins or as supplements.

There are varieties of vitamins and mineral supplements that you can feed your pet turtle or terrapin. These are able to provide a little bit of additional dietary support and nutrition that may be lacking from their regular diet. Most kinds of vitamin and mineral supplements can be given to them once or twice a week as part of their regular feeding. In general, if you provide your pet turtles and pet terrapins with a healthy variety of fresh, leafy greens and other fresh vegetables they should get most of the nutrition that they need from those.

Certain breeds of turtles also enjoy worms and other fresh vegetables. Some turtle owners also provide their pets with a calcium block to snack on to help take care of calcium needs which can be a little bit more difficult to supplement through the normal dietary feedings. You should also always make sure that you provide your pet turtles with a constant supply of fresh water that is always clean. Provide it to them in a shallow bowl so that it is easy for them to drink from.

Depending on the specific breed of your turtle, you may want to check with the local pet store, or ask an expert online about any additional guidelines and nutritious needs that your pet turtle may have. The food and care you varies from turtle to turtle for example the right box turtle care may not suit another turtle species. It is also a good idea to do your research entirely before you decide what kind of pet turtle or terrapin to get so you can be sure that you will easily be able to get the supplies and food that your pets need.

Whatever kind of pet turtle you get, you should remember that turtles and terrapins both have a long life expectancy. So when you decide to bring one home as your pet you need to be willing to commit to it for many years, maybe even your entire life!

Pet turtles that are the most common

People sometimes make the assumption that all turtles are the same but the truth is that every turtle is different in character and depending on species has unique features, habits and requirements. Some of the differences are visibly clear such as the colors and shell markings. Tortoises have noticeably different shells from sea turtles and turtles that are based mostly in water. The shells of a water based turtle will be lighter in color, softer and have less markings than that of a land turtle or tortoise.

The most popular pet turtles include the box turtle and the slider turtle varieties. The most common breeds of turtles, such as the yellow bellied turtles, slider turtles, mud turtles and box turtles, all have distinctive colorings and markings and an average life expectancy of about fifty years. Some have a little bit less or more, but a fair number have been known to outlive their owners. This is, therefore, something to be considered when looking for a turtle pet. You have to be willing to commit to providing for your pet turtle for a long time.

Box turtles are one of the most common types of turtles and are commonly known for their dome shaped shells. They can live on a diet of fresh vegetables like fresh leafy greens but also enjoy other foods like snails, insects, fungi, berries, slugs, roots, worms and flowers. During certain times of the season males will contend for the affections of a single female so if you’re planning to own more than one pet turtle of differing genders you will have to think about that. If you own this species you will have to give it special box turtle care as they require a different kind of care to some of their cousins.

Mud turtles are a common breed of aquatic turtles and there are certain species of mud turtles that are normally kept as household pets. These require, similarly to the red-eared slider and the painted turtle, both a wet environment and dry environment to live in. Other common types of pet turtles include the yellow bellied turtles which also have a long life expectancy and thrive on fresh leafy greens as a major part of their diet.

Regardless of what kind of turtle you get as a pet, you will need to provide for fresh food and water as well a comfortable, climate-controlled environment for them.

The advantages and disadvantages of buying from a non-commercial breeder

Buying from a local breeder or collector is always a good option for people looking to adopt a pet turtle. A local breeder is often someone who breeds a small amount of turtles as a hobby and there are many advantages to buying from such a person. Here are a few advantages if you choose to take this route in acquiring a pet turtle:

Most non commercial, local turtle breeders are very careful with their turtles and offer turtles that are in good health. (If this was not the case, it would be very unlikely that they would have any young turtles to sell).

The breeders will have a wealth of knowledge and experience from keeping and raising a specific species of turtle for some time. They will be able to answer all the questions you may have and share any useful advice on how to best care for your turtle.
There are also a few negatives about local breeders that you must consider before deciding to buy your turtle this way. Here are a few things you may need to think about before buying your turtle from a local breeder:

One of the biggest problems in dealing with non-commercial turtle breeders is actually finding one in your area. Non-commercial turtle breeders are much harder to find than hobbyist who breed other reptiles such as snakes and lizards. You may live in a large city and still it will be difficult to find a turtle breeder who lives close enough to make travelling easier.

Breeding turtles is an expensive and space conceiving task so most turtle breeders will stick to breeding only one species of turtle, even though you will find the occasional turtle breeder who breeds a small amount of different species. For this reason, the chances of finding a turtle breeder who sells your ideal turtle species may be slim. Variety is not always an option when you decide to buy your turtle this way.

Turtle breeders also sell their stock very quickly sometimes as soon as the turtle has hatched. It’s always a case of first come first serve and your luck may be out when trying to buy your ideal turtle. You may want to ask the breeder to put you on a waiting list or get in contact with you when they have the turtle you want in stock.
This is definitely not your only option when it comes to buying a turtle. There are other means and you may want to find out more about mail order and commercial turtle breeders.

The importance of knowing your pet turtles species

Turtles make great pets but to have one you really need to know a lot about your little buddy and what they need in order to live a happy and healthy life. A lot of people make the mistake of buying turtles without finding out what species they own, they jump to the conclusion that because it is a turtle it is like any other. This asumption can be the difference between your turtle living a happy long life and a short miserable one.

There are many species of turtle but each species can be put into only three group types which is an indicator of what kind of habitat they would require if kept as pets. These three groups are Land, semi aquatic, and aquatic. As the name suggests land turtles live mostly on land but will at times need fresh water to bathe in and drink. Semi aquatic turtles are comfortable both in fresh water and land but if kept at home they will need more land than water and maybe a bowl or area in their terrarium for them to soak themselves every once in a while. Aquatic turtles on the other hand as pets will need to be housed in an aquarium filled with fresh filtered water. Depending on what type of aquatic turtle, they may need a floating dock or log where they can sun themselves.

Another important factor turtle owners or people thinking about owning a turtle need to take into account about the species of their turtles; is that different turtles have different dietary needs. Some turtles are herbivores, some omnivores and others carnivores. Feeding your pet turtle the right foods is essential for their growth and health and understanding the species of your turtle will help you to know what foods will benefit your pet.

Making sure that the enclosure in which you keep your pet turtle in is designed and built specifically to cater to your turtles likings is something that is neccessary in order to keep your turtle happy and content with their environment. A stressed turtle will be affected by the environment that they're in and in turn this will also affect the bonding between you and your turtle. knowing the species of your turtle will give your an advantage towards creating the perfect environment for your little buddy.

On a final note remember that turtles on average can live to as long as 40 - 100 years so they are a pet and friend for life if you take good care of them. I hope this article helped to open your eyes to a few questions you should be asking when thinking about buying a turtle and ones you should already have answered if you own a pet turtle.