The diet of many turtles is, by contrast to many land tortoises, dependent to differing degrees upon pet protein. Baby Turtles particularly need special care. Lots of aquatic turtles are predators and many are opportunistic omnivores consuming a wide variety of little fish, snails and comparable creatures. Their diet even includes many aquatic plants, and in some situations, this constitutes the bulk of their food intake. These provide not only protein yet also calcium in balanced amounts (entire animals are eaten – bones too – not simply the fleshy elements).

In captivity, it is imperative not to make the all-too-common mistake of feeding only the ‘best’ meat minus the calcium consisting of bones. Large bone splinters can easily, nonetheless, prove to be a risk in their own right if swallowed whole so many keepers choose to provide calcium in a safer form (usually as a proprietary supplement). Great excellent supplements of tested performance feature ‘Rep-Cal’ and ‘Miner-All’ by having D3 (US availability) and ‘Nutrobal’ (European accessibility).

Most turtles are really omnivorous rather than exclusively carnivorous, consuming both animal prey as well as plant material in the wild. Red Slider and Painted turtles have a tendency to be a long way more carnivorous as juveniles, than as grownups. It is extremely easy to overfeed adults on protein-rich meat-based products – do not skip that in the wild adults of these species are predominantly herbivorous! In all cases, it is absolutely not sufficient to feed only on commercial turtle flakes which are often of extremely poor nutritional value as well as severely lacking in dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. Nor ought oily fish form the staple diet, as these can easily result in steatitis or fatty infiltration of the liver.

Diets containing unnecessary quantities of fish can additionally result in induced vitamin-B deficiencies due to the presence in fish of an enzyme called thiaminase, which interferes by having the take up of B-group vitamins. It should also be noted that fish oils and fresh meat waste in the water is exceptionally slow to disperse – it can easily clog filters as well as instantly result in bad smelling, poor water high quality.

The main thing to stay away from in diets for any captive turtle is over-reliance upon one solitary product; this is an extremely easy mistake to make, certainly a well balanced and mixed diet is infinitely better. Provide to a wide a variety of the following food items as you potentially can.

Suggested Turtle Diet

• Plant leaf, aquatic plant and salad material, assorted (freely available)
• Raw (whole) small fish (not frozen, very limited amounts occasionally)**
• Rehydrated low fat dried cat, dog and trout pellets (twice weekly for juveniles – no more than once weekly for adults)
• Zoophobas, crickets and waxworm larvae (limited amounts, occasionally)***
• Earthworms (occasionally)
• Tubifex and bloodworms (excellent for tempting hatchlings to begin feeding)
• Small snails and mollusks  (occasionally)**
• Good quality proprietary foods (e.g., Reptomin) three times per week

** Note that these products carry some danger of transmission of certain parasitic organisms such as flukes. For this reason, you may care to leave them out. Turtles can easily be reared without problems if these products are omitted..

*** These are particularly useful if confronted by a rescued wild turtle that may not immediately recognize prepared foods as edible.

• Place the dried food in a bowl
• Add the calcium supplement and shake well
• Add sufficient water to hydrate the food
• Allow to stand for 10 to 15 minutes; the supplement will by this time be partially absorbed and partly stuck to the food and will be far less likely to just ‘wash off’.
• Feed to the turtles, which should hungry to ensure that they consume it very soon after it is delivered to the tank or pond.

A normal meal can consist of two or three of the above constituents, combined. Rotate active components for variety as well as balance. Breeders have really sustained, bred and reared hundreds of turtles over the past twenty years making usage of this as their routine, base-line diet. Where dried food, or moving food sticks, are to be rehydrated, rehydrate utilizing water plus a calcium additive. The operation we have really establised as most effective for achieving this is as follows:

Live prey and salad vegetation must be dusted in this way immediately prior to feeding. This is a very efficient means of guaranteing that your turtle will definitely get all of the vital supplements and trace elements it requires. On no account count upon ‘Turtle Flakes’, shrimp, or ‘ant eggs’ as offered in some shops – these products are totally unsuited to the efficient rearing of healthy turtles. Numerous turtles fed on such diets die within a couple months from numerous dietary deficiencies.

Baby turtles, principally as pets, can possibly possess a track record for snapping; however, the majority are not hostile to people. They are usually housed in aquaria with smooth rocks helping as a “land” area, taking up at the very least one-third of the aquarium tank, while the other two-thirds of the area are for swimming. They will spend their whole lifetime in the aquarium to stop unhealthy bacteria germs spreading to family members.

Types

The most common type of baby turtle, the red eared slider, receives its name due to the red streak upon the sides of its head. The box turtle, which is so-named due to the fact they are able to close all appendages, including the head within their shell, is noted for being a fussy eater. The Russian Tortoise, though shier when compared with other sorts of turtles, has a pleasant disposition. The shell is normally ruddy brown or black.

Food

A range of commercial turtle foods can include pelleted foodstuffs and flakes, turtle sticks and floating pellets. Cooked chicken and eggs (which include shells) are equally appropriate for baby turtles. Although whole dried shrimp isn’t really safe, and specially undesirable for babies, shrimp pellets are generally safe food on occasion.

Health Problems

Salmonellosis (salmonella ) and soft shell are two of the most frequent infections affecting baby turtles. Nevertheless, keeping a baby turtle’s aquarium and drinking-water unpolluted thwarts the peril of salmonellosis. Soft shell, which is brought about by a lack of vitamin D3 and sunlight, is a calcium shortage. Since the principal symptom is a soft shell it is more challenging to identify in baby turtles as their shells are likely to be already soft. Having said that, a discolored shell that turns to a bleached color is an additional sign.

Considerations

An ideal baby turtle’s home gets bigger in capacity, right along with the growing turtle. In addition, the water and air of the aquarium are kept on a heat range that isn’t too cold for swimming. This allows the animals the convenience to swim easily and laze in warmth.

Warning

Not only is salmonellosis a health issue for turtles, but undesirable bacteria coming from the disease may be transmitted to people. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, roughly 70,000 Us residents contract salmonellosis each and every year from reptile contact. The bacteria from salmonellosis can easily result in symptoms such as fever, diarrhea and stomach pain that start out one to three days following an infestation.

Turtle Guide Book

An Independent Review

Quality of Information//Excellent
Quantity of Information//Excellent
Guarantee//60 Days
Support//Good
Price//$24.45
Overall recommendation//Must Buy

Sometimes owning a turtle can be quite daunting, especially when you come up against a problem to which you do not have an immediate answer. Trying to cure a sick turtle by researching free information online may render results eventually but can you afford to wait? As we know ourselves there is a limited amount of free information available, good as it may be, but often not to the detail required to be really useful when presented with a problem turtle. Decent turtle care guides are hard to come buy.

That’s why we were curious when we got our hands on the Turtle Guide Book. It’s a goldmine of laser targeted information from Paul Bryan who has over ten years experience keeping and breeding turtles. The guide leaves nothing out covering everything from the species of turtles available, where and how to buy, how to give the right care through feeding, all the way to habitat creation. You will learn everything that Paul has experienced, it’s almost as though he was there.

These are just a few skills you will have after downloading the Turtle Guide Book:

• A twelve point essential check list to tick before you even think about buying a turtle.

• How to give the very best care to ensure your turtle thrives.

• Essential ground rules on setting up and fitting out the perfect turtle habitat.

• Discover exactly how to spot a sick turtle and what treatment to give.

• How to breed baby turtles, the important steps you must not miss.

• How to train a turtle to recognise your touch and voice.

• Turtle hibernation techniques to improve your turtles health.

• Save a fortune on vet bills by leaning exactly how to administer specialised treatments

This guide proved to be a one stop shop for everything turtle related and we cannot recommend it highly enough. Bundled with the guide are two really useful bonus books. The first tells you all you need to know about controlling and eliminating algae from your turtle aquarium, the other concentrates on emergency first aid for turtles. This last one is an essential bit of reading as it will almost certainly be needed sooner or later and will save many times your initial investment against just the vet bills alone. Both guides are well presented, easy to follow and add greatly to the knowledge already contained in the Turtle Guide Book.

Not unsurprisingly the Turtle Guide Book has quite a following on line, we obtained some typical testimonials for you.

Here’s another….

Testimonial – Violet, UK

“This was our first time with a turtle and although we had all the basics, we still didn’t have the experience , so this was really good in helping us get to know more about our turtle.

It is a well thought out guidebook, with lots of information that helped and gave us good advice on what things to feed our turtle and things like that.

A five-star guidebook, and I would definitely
recommend it to my friends!”

Such is the popularity of the guide amongst its consumers, in a recent survey the Turtle Guide Book was rated 4.5 out of 5 for its overall value for money.

We are not surprised.
There are many more such testimonials on the website read them here.

Summary

Usually we prefer to stay away from e-book recommendations as often they do not stack up against the hype. This one is different it does exactly what it says on the tin and with the extra blouses its a no brainer really. It full of up to date targeted information that responsible turtle owners really should not be without.

Our recommendation is this.
If you are thinking about keeping turtles or terrapins or are already a keeper who wants to know more then this guide is for you. You can order the Turtle Guide Book online here for $24.45 and download it with the bonus books immediately. You have a 60 day risk free money back guarantee but on this one I doubt you will need it.

Technorati Tags: tortoise guide, turtle care guide, turtle field guide, turtle guide book, turtles guide, turtles manual

It’s a fact that most baby turtles and adults carry salmonella, if you look for information on the internet there are many pages carrying news on the subject.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports specifically on this subject.  It would appear that keeping turtles in your home creates a very real risk but this perspective has been somewhat over exaggerated. The salmonella strain carried by turtles can produce symptoms of sickness and diarrhea but  only in very rare cases are you likely to be hospitalised. Turtle salmonella need no be a problem.

You should not be discouraged from keeping these delightful creatures as pets. To get things back in perspective people working everyday with turtles are hardly falling over with turtle salmonella poisoning, most will work their whole lives with these creatures and never become infected.

All pet keeping brings an element of risk, look at our favourite pet, the dog, how dangerous is the bacteria in its their faeces.  Dog droppings are one of the leading sources of E. coli (fecal coliforms) bacterial pollution: Consider this, one gram of dog feces contains over 20,000,000 E. coli cells yet who would let this fact sway their decision about keeping a dog?

The fact is that all animals harbor bacteria of one sort or another but by using proper hygiene most pet owners will never be affected by it.

The golden rule is always to wash your hands after handling turtles. You should take extra care with young children. Don’t let the turtle come into contact with food preparation areas or let it roam your home freely. Do not use the household kitchen sinks to clean turtles and equipment, better to obtain proper tools for the job.

You should play it safe with very young infants and old people, their natural defenses are weaker.  People with existing infections should also be careful, their immune systems are weaker than normal. It might be sensible to remove pet turtles from a home expecting a new born baby.

If you take proper precautions and follow a proper hygiene regime turtle salmonella, when keeping baby or full grown turtles,  should not present a problem. The FDA has a view on this topic you might wish to see the video then make up your own mind..

More news regarding salmonella and how you can be safe and enjoy your baby turtles…

Salmonella and turtles info sheet
One of those is about Salmonella in pet turtles, something we’ve discussed on Worms&Germs periodically. The info sheet, and associated commentary from Ben Chapman, can be found here.

How do I prevent getting salmonella from my pet turtles?
I just want to know before I get my pet turtles how to prevent getting salmonella from my turtles~!~ And is there a way to tell if my turtle has it? 

FDA Acts to Reduce Risk of Salmonella Infections
On March 3, 2008, Strictly Reptiles Inc., a wildlife dealer in Hollywood, Fla., sold 1000 baby yellow-bellied sliders and Mississippi map turtles to a souvenir shop in Panama City, Fla. 

Salmonella Recall List for January 28, 2009
Because reptiles are particularly likely to have salmonella, which can contaminate their skin, people should wash their hands immediately after handling reptiles. Reptiles including turtles

Technorati Tags: salmonella & turtles, salmonella cdc, turtle desease, turtle salmonella

Taking on a pet requires a certain level of commitment. For the most part, you will be responsible for the safety and well-being of another creature. Taking care of a turtle is no easy task. Which turtle is best for you?

Choosing from among the types of pet turtles will entail careful thought. You will want to select a pet whose lifestyle can easily fit in with your own way of living. Here are three common types of pet turtles that you can consider rearing.

Box Turtles
The box turtle is one of the more popular types of pet turtles that are found practically all over the world. Wherever there are damp, mossy areas, one is sure to find a box turtle inhabiting the land. These types of pet turtles are pretty territorial and are required to stay near their place of birth for their entire lifetime. As a matter of fact, if you try to remove a box turtle to another area half a mile from where it was born, it acquires the tendency to systematically search for its former habitat. It may not be able to find its way back to its old home but it will spend most of its life looking for it. This is one of those types of pet turtles that you will want to be cautious about because you need to create a living environment that is very similar to its old habitat. A box turtle is omnivorous so it can live off of insects, berries and various types of food products. They are ideal pets for people who live in the country because it is easier to recreate their natural habitat.

Slider Turtles
Among the many types of pet turtles, sliders are probably the most controversial due to the salmonella scare in the 1970′s. Apparently, young children have contracted the disease due to improper handling of slider turtles. However, through the years, these types of pet turtles have managed to redeem their popularity as they have always been known to make excellent pets. A slider can grow up to eleven inches long so you will probably need to replace your tank if you started with a ten-gallon aquarium for a baby turtle.

Slider turtles naturally live in swampy areas that have lots of mud such as shallow ponds and lakesides. These types of pet turtles love to bask in the sun for hours and are typically omnivorous. However they tend to minimize on their intake of meat as they grow older. You can try feeding your pet live goldfish, worm cubes and food sticks. It’s also a good idea to feed it lots of lettuce and other types of vegetables.

Painted Turtles
Painted turtles are probably the most beautiful types of pet turtles because of their colorful markings on their shells. The turtle usually has a dark olive to black skin color combined with red and yellow stripes on its legs and neck. It usually comes with a smooth carapace and can grow up to ten inches in length.

These types of pet turtles are generally aquatic. Compared to other species, they are a bit more complicated to take care of because they have specific habits that you need to take note of.

Copyright (c) 2008 Steven Magill

By: Steven Magill

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com. For great turtle care advice, turtle food recommendation or turtle health issues visit us at ….. www.petturtlecare.net/

Learn more about the different species of turtles…

Check out these posts for more information on turtles…

Box Turtle Species – An Introduction
Box turtles are wonderful turtles, but they do not make the easiest of pets. They have fairly specific requirements which are hard to meet unless you can build them a nice pen outdoors.

Red Eared Slider Care
Red Eared Sliders  are not as hugely popular as they once were, but they are still one of the most commonly kept pet turtles. While their care is not all that complicated, owners need to be prepared.

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Technorati Tags: different types of turtles, pet turtle species, small turtle species, turtle types, types of turtles for pets

Tips On Choosing A Turtle As A Pet
When choosing a turtle as a pet for the first time, new pet owners may be hesitant as they are unsure as to how they should get started. Before looking for baby turtles for sale its best to read up as much as possible beforehand.

The good news is that choosing a turtle to add to your household is much easier than it may seem. The following will provide some tips on how to choose this friendly animal for your new pet.

Read Up on Turtles First
Before heading out to the store you should read up on turtles either online or in books from your local library or bookstore. By having the requisite knowledge about these creatures you will be better prepared to become a turtle owner. Not only will you learn what items you need to purchase alongside the turtle in order to get started but you will also gain knowledge regarding how to care for your new pet and keep it happy.

Decide What Type of Turtle You Want
It is also a good idea to determine what type of turtle you want to buy. When choosing a turtle as a pet you will be met with a variety of options with regard to turtle species. When reading about turtles, try to figure out which type of turtle is most suitable for your specific living situation. In addition, if you have children in the home, keep in mind that some turtles will be better suited for homes with kids than others will be. Deciding what type of turtle you want right in the beginning will help you to narrow down the turtle options and choose one which is best for you.

Know That Owning a Turtle Is a Commitment
As with any pet, those who buy turtles are making the commitment to care for them properly and keep them content and safe. Know that you will have to feed the turtle, clean the living space and teach the children to treat the turtle gently. Although a turtle may not take as much effort as a cat or a dog will, it is still a pet which needs to be cared for properly and fully.

Try to Find Package Deals on Turtles and Turtle Equipment
You may also find that pet stores offer package deals on animals and accompanying equipment from time to time. The same may be true in the case of a turtle. Try to find a pet store which offers complete packages which may include the turtle, living quarters for your new little friend, food and any other accessories which turtles need to live happily. Choosing a turtle as a pet in the way of a package deal not only will ensure that you have all that you need for your new pet but you may even get a great deal on all of the items as well.

Turtles A Truly Unique And Interesting Pet
If you decide to take a turtle for your pet, try to learn more about these animals first. They require proper care and a certain level of attention. There are some species that can be taken cared of by humans while there are others

 Turtle Care Turtle Diseases
If you do believe that your turtle has a respiratory infection check the temperature and humidity of your turtles’ habitat. Shell Rot– Shell rot primarily occurs to due bacteria or fungi infections.

Turtle Habitat
I would really rather have a turtle. More precisely I want a paludariums or a water terrarium. I want a habitat for my turtle with live plants and fish. To have a turtle you need special water filters for the waste water

By: Craig Thornburrow

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Craig Thornburrow is an acknowledged expert in his field. You can get more free advice on keeping turtles and Turtle Equipment at www.keepingturtles.com

Technorati Tags: buy, choosing, finding a pet turtle, pet turtle care, pet turtle types, purchase

Pet turtles are commonly referred to as ‘terrapins’ in the United Kingdom and include all kinds of turtles. However, there are some terrapins that are specific to a certain kind of environment, such as the diamondback terrapin which lives in and near brackish water.

Terrapin, in the rest of the world, also refers generally to a kind of turtle that lives exclusively in fresh water. Terrapins are usually more similar to sea turtles with their webbed feet and thinner shells than to other kinds of turtles.

But depending on which country you’re in, like the UK for instance, if terrapin refers to pet turtle than there are many different kinds you’re likely to hear about.

A quick overview of each type should give you some idea of what kind of care it would require as a pet. As far as sea turtles are concerned it’s generally not easy or cost-effective to keep as pets and seeing as many are endangered you probably wouldn’t be allowed to anyway. But the box turtle is yours for the taking.

As is the red-eared slider, the yellow bellied terrapin and the painted terrapin. (The yellow bellied is simply a painted terrapin with a yellow plastron.) The red-eared slider is also known as the Chinese terrapin in some locales and the box turtle (in the United States) is also known as a tortoise in the UK and Australia.

The red-eared slider is a semi-aquatic reptile which means it needs both land and water masses to be comfortable and healthy. Similarly, the painted terrapin is also semi-aquatic and both types of turtles need warm temperatures to thrive in as well as a lot of natural, unfiltered sunlight daily for shell-health.

The box turtle or tortoise, on the other hand, is a purely land-based reptile and does not need water except to drink occasionally. The box turtle does, however, require much greater care while handling than the other species and it is not recommended as a pet for small children.

It generally isn’t recommended as a pet because box turtles must live around the area they were born in. So if you don’t breed turtles and it wasn’t born in your garden, don’t make it live there.

However, if you do get your hands on one then make sure it has an outdoor (and very safe!) enclosure as these chelonian critters need plenty of sunlight.

Apart from that, do some basic research on the kind of pet you want and the kind of habitat and care you can provide for it and, well, you’re set to own a pet!

By: Paul Bryan

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Turtles, tortoises and terrapins
How to tell turtles, tortoises and terrapins apart?

Morty and I have become close friends
Some types of turtles, such as the leatherback turtle can swim at speeds up to 23 miles per hour. Turtles, as opposed to tortoises, live in or around water.

Technorati Tags: box tortoise, common pet turtle, red ear slider turtles, sea turtles facts, turtles as pets, types of turtles

Cloudy aquarium water will mean testing the water to esablish the cause.

Once you know what you are dealing it is relatively easy to keep the water clear in your turtle aquarium. Although most test kits talk about aquariums for fish the water in your turtle tank can be treated in the same way.

Test kits can be expensive, although it’s possible to save some money if you purchase a master test kit.

How do aquarium test kits work? The process is very easy – all you have to do is dip the strips in a test tube containing your aquarium water, and compare the color on the strip to the information cards that come with the package.

Another type of test kit comes with liquid droppers containing a solution you drip into a test tube of sample water. Then you just shake and wait a few minutes for the results. Again, match the color in the test tube to the color on the card to find out what the results mean.

Saltwater master test kits look for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, and even alkalinity.

Ammonia builds up in a saltwater aquarium from fish waste and leftover food that has begun to rot. It’s extremely important to keep your tank free of ammonia, as it’s the main reason why fish die. Readings should always be 0.

Nitrite develops when bacteria present in the tank feed off ammonia. In new tanks that have not been cycled, nitrite levels are very high. Nitrite is toxic to fish just like ammonia. To remove nitrites from the water you have to conduct a water change. Bacteria in the water and filters eventually transform nitrites into nitrate. A nitrite reading must be 0.

Nitrates are produced, as mentioned above, during the natural cycling process. While not as toxic as nitrites and ammonia, nitrates can cause your fish stress in high amounts. A partial water change will get rid of nitrates, which should be less than 20 ppm. Reef tanks should have a reading closer to 0.

pH refers to a water’s acidity or alkalinity. The pH scale is between 0 and 14. Zero is the most acidic, seven is neutral, and fourteen is alkaline. Water changes can raise or lower the pH level, as does the addition of specific chemicals to the water. The right pH level depends on the type of fish you have in your tank.

An alkalinity kit tests the stability of your water in regards to a changing pH level. Essentially, this type of test specifically looks for your aquarium’s capabilities for stabilizing the pH in the water. The reading in saltwater tanks should be between 7 and 12 dkH.

Testing the water in your aquarium is an important part of maintaining the tank and keeping your baby turtles safe and healthy. Regular maintenance will ensure your aquarium continues to run smoothly, but you always have to double check by carrying out the required tests.

Ammonia Problem
Can someone help my ammonia wont go to 0 ppm it always stays at .25 and 1 time I got it to 0 for a few days

All About Aquarium Fish: Water Test Kit
Whether you are a serious or casual pet fish hobbyist, an ammonia, nitrate and nitrite water test kit is definitely a must-have item for your aquarium.

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By: Richard Gilliland

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

About the Author:
Richard Gilliland writes articles on Aquarium Supplies. Other articles written by Richard Gilliland related to Elos Test Kits, aquarium chillers and Octopus Protein Skimmers could be found on the internet.

Technorati Tags: ammonia aquarium, aquarium water test kits, Aquarium Water Tests, cloudy fish water, nitrate aquarium

When you have red eared slider turtles for pets you have to make sure that you are feeding them the right amount of plant and animal material. As babies they need to eat large amount of animal protein because they have a very large carnivorous side to them. However, it is still a good thing to feed them a few vegetable materials. Finding the right information now will save lots of anguish later.

Don’t be surprised though if they don’t eat much of the vegetation till they are older. When they mature to adults you can pull back on the animal materials and feed them mostly vegetation.

You can offer red eared slider pellet food. They have a bit of a mixture of the right amount of vitamins and minerals. They are sometimes more convenient for pet owners. But this should not be the only thing that you feed them. It is great if you mix their food up a bit to keep them from getting bored and to make sure that they are getting all of the nutrients that they need to be healthy.

Food To Feed Red Eared Sliders

When it comes to feeding them you can give them earthworms, live feeder fish (this includes goldfish, guppies, minnows), waxworms, crickets, aquatic snails, daphnia, earthworms, silkworms, mealworms, and blood worms. These should only be given to small turtles. Adult red eared slider should eat larger animal items.

When feeding turtles vegetation stick with collard, kale, bok choy, mustard, dandelions greens, and dark green leaf lettuce. Never feed them iceberg lettuce because it does not have much nutrition.

If your turtle lives in a pond or aquarium you can always add aquatic plants to feed them. They love to snack on submerged plants like frog-bit, water hyacinth, water lettuce, azolla, anacharis, and duckweed.

By: Naomi West

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Red Eared Slider Turtle
Red eared sliders are like any other pet. They are unique in their own way and therefore require different things to take care of them properly

Red Eared Terrapin; San Anton Gardens, Malta
It is common for Red-eared Slider to bask together and even on top of each other. There is also abundant vegetation, which is the main component of an adult slider’s diet.

What is a healthy diet for two baby red eared slider turtles?
I just figured out that my two baby turtles have metabolic bone disease and i need to know if what i am feeding them is right. what is a healthy diet for them?

Technorati Tags: feed, food, red eared slider diet, red eared turtles

There are many species of turtle living on land and water here we discuss just some of them. It pays to learn as much as you can about pet turtles so that you can take good care of them.

Common Pet Turtles

When it comes to pet turtles it may seem they are all pretty much the same thing. In fact, turtles are quite differentiated and each breed and type of pet turtle has its own unique features, habits and requirements. Some of the most distinctive differences across types are the colors and markings on their shells.

Land based turtles have different kinds of shells than do sea turtles or water based turtles like terrapins. Water based turtles tend to have lighter color shells, less distinctive markings and softer shells as well than the land based turtles.

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.

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.

By: Paul Bryan

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

3 Small Turtles; One with a Potential Problem
I have three small turtles. They are on a diet of veggies (lettuce and such) as well as “Nutrafin Basix,” “Floating Turtle Pellets Gammarus Pellets.”

Technorati Tags: land turtle species, small pet turtle species, turtle species list, water turtle species