How to keep a softshell turtle at home? Master these methods to raise one easily

Currently quite a few friends who like keeping pets are raising softshell turtles as ornamental pets at home. So how do you keep a softshell turtle at home? Let us take a look together below.

1. How to keep a softshell turtle at home?

1. Water quality: Keeping a softshell turtle is actually quite similar to keeping fish; the first thing to pay attention to is the water. River water is best; if you do not have any, then leave tap water standing for two or three days, and then put the softshell turtle in to be raised. Softshell turtles have somewhat high requirements for water quality and cannot tolerate water that is too dirty. Each time you feed it, any leftover food should ideally be removed immediately, otherwise it easily pollutes the water quality. It is best to have it eat in another place.

2. Fish tank: Inside the fish tank there needs to be a platform that allows the softshell turtle to come ashore and bask in the sun. Softshell turtles are amphibians, so this point is very important for them. Around or in the center of the softshell turtle pond there must be a sufficiently large area of land and sand so that it can carry out land activities. Softshell turtles are sensitive to sounds in the surrounding environment; as long as there is the slightest noise around, the softshell turtle can quickly dive into the mud at the bottom of the water, so the raising environment must be kept quiet.

3. Feeding: You can feed the softshell turtle river fish, river shrimp, small pieces of meat, and the like. Feeding twice a day is enough. It is best not to feed too much; just enough to eat is fine, otherwise the leftovers will also pollute the water quality. Although the softshell turtle is a carnivore, plant-based food can also be added to its bait, such as bran, cornmeal, bean dregs and a small amount of melon.

4. Temperature: The temperature suitable for the growth of softshell turtles generally needs to be 25 to 30 degrees; the lowest temperature cannot be lower than 10 degrees, and the highest temperature cannot be higher than 32 degrees.

2. Living habits of softshell turtles

1. Likes quiet, fears disturbance: Softshell turtles are timid by nature; when there is a sound or they see a person's shadow, they flee into the water, and they do not dare to eat in front of people, as they are highly vigilant. When coming ashore from the water, they generally stay not far from the shore, and are slightly startled by any disturbance.

2. Likes sun, fears wind: On warm, windless sunny days, especially at noon when the sunlight is strong, they climb onto the sandy shore or onto rocks in the water to “sun their backs”, or lie on their backs with the belly facing upward, limbs spread out, basking in the sun. Carrying out a sunbath is called “sunning the shell”, commonly known as “sunning the lid”. Even in the hot summer, they will boldly climb onto scorching rocks to sun their shells, and only leave after the moisture on the back shell and belly shell has dried and the body has warmed up.

3. Likes cleanliness, fears dirt: Softshell turtles like to live in clean, flowing water and to take in fresh live food. Softshell turtles also like to play against the current in fresh water flow. To seek food or escape a poor environment, softshell turtles often leave the water and come ashore from their living waters, and have been known to crawl long distances to move to waters in another place to live. This is called “moving house”.

4. Fears cold, fears heat: In summer they often move about in shaded deep water. When encountering hot, dry weather, they often crawl to shaded spots by the water with many trees or dense aquatic plants to cool off and lie dormant.