Which Turtle Breeds Are Easy to Keep and Beautiful? A Detailed Guide to Feeding and Hibernation

There are many kinds of turtles. In current turtle keeping, they are mainly divided into three major categories: aquatic turtles, tortoises and semi-aquatic turtles. Among them, the semi-aquatic type is the most popular with the general public, because it is convenient to look after, of course. But for beginners keeping turtles, the necessary homework must be done thoroughly, after all turtles are living creatures too, and you have to be responsible for these little lives. So which breeds of turtles are easy to keep and beautiful? Specifically, how do you keep them? What do they eat? Do they hibernate?

1. About turtle breeds for keeping and “what they eat”

If you are a beginner, then it is recommended to choose easy-to-keep turtle species, such as:

(1) Amphibious Chinese pond turtle: Feeding them some small fish and small shrimp, or giving them some weeds (the tenderer ones), bread crumbs, vegetable leaves, fruit scraps and so on can all keep Chinese pond turtles alive, making it the first choice among “easy-to-keep turtles.” If you are still worried that you cannot keep one well, then when buying, choose a bigger and stronger one, with stronger vitality, so you need not fear that your early fumbling will kill it.

(2) Red-eared slider: The main turtle species on the market, it is a small turtle, very suitable for keeping at home. If you want the red-eared slider to grow plump, you can feed it more fish meat.

(3) Yellow-margined box turtle: For keepers with high expectations for a turtle's looks, you should not miss the yellow-margined box turtle. They are social celebrity turtles with plenty of personality, and are also a famously semi-aquatic turtle species. However, when keeping them, note that yellow-margined box turtles like to live in groups, so remember to buy several when keeping them; turtles can get depressed too.

2. About how to keep turtles

Once the “what they eat” problem is solved, keeping turtles becomes much easier. Just pay attention to the following points:

(1) Controlling the turtle's living environment

The most important thing is temperature. Ensuring an environment of 25-30 degrees Celsius is very necessary, so that the turtles can grow strong; otherwise the digestive enzymes in their bodies will become inactive. Would you have the heart to let your turtle become a “cookie turtle”?

(2) Turtle hibernation

Turtles do hibernate. Generally around December, turtles of different breeds will successively enter hibernation, and come out of hibernation from March to early May of the following year. The time they come out depends on the local climate. Generally, in places with warmer climates such as Guangdong, turtles come out of hibernation earlier. Around March, hibernation will end.

Also note here that a turtle “waking up” does not mean hibernation is over. Maybe it has just come out to sun itself because the weather is nice, which also helps relieve the turtle's skin rot and shell rot. Turtles are still quite intelligent animals.