How do you keep a pet turtle? After reading these tips you will know

Compared with keeping ornamental fish, which have short lifespans and require careful maintenance, turtles are one of the best choices for “lazy” keepers. Below is an introduction to pet turtle care tips; after reading these you will know how to keep them.

1. Basic facts about pet turtles

1. Distribution of turtles

The turtle is a reptile with a hard shell, also known as the golden turtle, grass turtle, mud turtle and mountain turtle. It is found almost everywhere in China, and turtles can be seen in Hebei, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Hong Kong, China, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Gansu and Taiwan, China, while abroad they are more common in Japan, Brazil and Korea.

2. Easy-to-keep pet turtle species

Now that techniques are mature, there are also many more species to choose from when keeping pet turtles. Golden coin turtles, red-eared sliders, snapping turtles, grass turtles, yellow-margined box turtles, flowerback turtles, green-haired turtles and long-necked turtles are all good choices; generally, prices differ depending on the variety and size. For example, an ordinary Hainan golden coin turtle costs 20,000-25,000 yuan each, a Vietnamese golden coin turtle costs 30,000 yuan each, and the rarer the variety, the more expensive it is. At present, a 6 cm red-eared slider is around 10 yuan, and adults range from 15-50 yuan.

2. How do you keep a pet turtle?

Generally, when people keep pet turtles they mostly buy hatchlings, because hatchlings are cheap and you can watch them grow up, but keeping hatchlings generally requires attention to the following points:

1. Give the turtle a suitable living environment

Prepare a suitable container for keeping it, with some water (as deep as is suitable for the turtle to swim in) and pebbles; the pebbles are placed here mainly so they can lie on top and rest, and can also bask their shells in the sun. Although turtles need some sunlight to grow, be careful of too much exposure, because the strong ultraviolet radiation will injure the turtle and, in serious cases, even dry it out. Turtles need a suitable temperature while growing; generally the most suitable temperature for turtles is a water temperature of 23-28 degrees.

2. Feed the turtle a reasonable, nutritious diet

Generally, feeding an amount about the size of the turtle's head is enough; in winter just provide an appropriate amount of water, because turtles hibernate, and during hibernation there is no need to feed them. Hatchlings can be fed turtle food, and you can appropriately feed them some small shrimp, small red worms, lean meat (cut small) and fish innards (cut into small pieces); when feeding the turtle you must be regular. When the turtle grows to a certain size, you should feed it live food, such as loaches and small fry.

3. Strengthen the turtle's daily care

Besides the daily sunbathing to warm up and sterilise, turtles should also have their shells regularly scrubbed with a soft-bristled toothbrush to remove parasites. In addition, it is best to sunbathe in the morning and after 3 p.m. each day, and not for too long; generally one or two hours is about enough. Turtles dirty the water after they excrete, so the water must be changed regularly; you can use tap water (tap water that has been exposed to the sun for more than three days) or cooled boiled water, and unfinished turtle food should also be cleaned out promptly to avoid polluting the water.

The above is all of the turtle care content introduced by the Tuliu.com editor; as long as you pay attention to these points when keeping them, you will basically not go wrong.