In the movie "Rocky", Rocky Balboa owned 2 pet turtles, Cuff and Link. He certainly seemed to genuinely care for them, but the bowl he kept them in was absolutely horrible! In reality, turtles need plenty of space to move around, certainly more space than a small bowl can provide. The most important thing to consider in your turtle's living environment is that it will need both land and water; enough water to swim around in a little, yet enough land to completely get out of the water and dry off.
There are many other things you need to keep in mind when caring for a pet turtle, but by no means are turtles difficult animals to take care of. In fact, they're one of the more easier pets to care for. As long as you remember the basics, your turtles will live a long and happy life and provide you years of enjoyment.
Near the top of the lists of important things to consider when caring for a turtle is its diet. Unlike a dog, you can't simply just share your leftovers with a turtle. Giving a turtle the wrong kinds of food can actually make it quite sick, so most people food is out of the question. To be on the safe side, do the required research and find out what is and isn't healthy for a turtle to eat. And you can always visit your local pet shop and pick up one of the many commercial foods specifically geared for turtles.
An important thing to realize about turtles is that they are cold-blooded, meaning that their bodies can't regulate temperature on its own, so they need outside sources of heat. This is why you commonly see turtles basking in the sun, so they can warm themselves up to the proper body temperature. Your turtle's aquarium should have a heat lamp and also a UVB full spectrum light source so they can get the vitamin D they would normally get from the sun.
Finally, its important to be aware that turtles are not animals that should be constantly handled, like dogs or cats. Of course you can play with it once in a while, but most of the time it should be in the aquarium where its natural habitat is simulated best. In fact, you probably should avoid handling the turtle altogether for a few days after first bringing it home so it can get accustomed to its new environment. Besides, turtles aren't the best animals at showing affection anyway, so they are best enjoyed by watching them. Remember, turtles get stressed very easily and this can lead to illnesses, so keep the physical handling of your turtle down to a minimum.
Alan has been an avid writer and blogger for the past 6 years. Some of favorite pasttimes include weightlifting, bowling, and video games. In addition, he builds informational websites in his spare time. Check out one of his latest sites at http://www.weedeaterparts.org where he provides some great information on hard to find weedeater parts.
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