If you are considering adopting a turtle, you must know how to care for it. This animal requires special care, you will have to carefully monitor its housing, nutrition and hygiene.
Dwelling
First of all, find a home for your pet. The type of dwelling depends on the type of the turtle itself. If you start overland, it will need land and some water. These animals live in temperate and subtropical latitudes, they have a hibernation period, take this into account when creating a home for them.
You can create a securely enclosed space and fill it with earth. Turtles love to hide, so make sure there are grooves in the ground for this. Also install a container of water in which the turtle can swim. This is especially important during hot periods. If you have an aquatic turtle, you will need plenty of water. The amount of land depends on the specific species of aquatic turtles, some of them do not need land at all. All types of turtles can be found outdoors. It should be located in the open sun, among a large number of vegetation that is harmless to them. If you keep your turtle at home (in a terrarium or aquarium), you need to create an appropriate atmosphere for it, for example, install a heat source and a powerful light source, you will also need to build an artificial reservoir.
Food
Turtles are very finicky when it comes to food. You can try feeding them different foods, as long as you know they are harmless. Land turtles are usually herbivores, and they gladly eat leafy food. They also eat well strawberries, raspberries, bananas, dandelion flowers, apples, peaches, and canned fruits. Aquatic turtles are more likely to eat animal food. They can be fed with shrimps, snails, grasshoppers, earthworms, crickets, etc. Their diet should also include plant foods (vegetables and fruits). Remember that turtles usually eat every 3 to 4 days. You don't need to feed your pet every day, unless you were told so when you bought it.
Cleanliness and hygiene
Keep the turtle's room clean. If you are using an aquarium or terrarium, wash it more often, change the ground, gravel and water. Use warm water, soap, and disinfectants. Dry thoroughly before placing new fillers in the container. If the water in the turtle's dwelling is filtered, it must be changed every 2 to 3 months; non-filtered water must be changed every 2 to 3 days. Drinking water should always be clean, change it daily. Be sure to remove any algae that builds up in the tank. Remove from the turtle's home any food it has not eaten, it can become a source of infections. It is also necessary to regularly clean the container from faeces.
