How to Raise a Tortoise

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Turtles have been present on this planet for more than 200 million years, meaning this creature walked the earth at the same time as the dinosaurs. ^{[1] X Source of Research} They are charming and delightful pets that humans love to look at and care for. However, because tortoises live long and have many experiences, they have plenty of time to form a number of preferences and have a whole list of personal needs. Therefore, taking care of tortoise can be a bigger responsibility than you think, it requires you to put in time and effort to keep your turtle healthy and strong. If you want to learn how to care for this wonderful animal, start with step 1 below.

Table of Contents

Choose turtle

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Choose turtle. Tortoises come in many varieties, and there are many factors you need to consider when choosing a turtle to keep, from the turtle’s appearance to the turtle’s preferred habitat and the amount of money you have to spend to own the species. this creature. Whatever species of turtle you choose will make a lovely family pet if you take good care of them. Some common turtle species include African tortoise (Sulcata), leopard tortoise (Leopard), red-footed tortoise (Redfoot), yellow-footed tortoise (Yellowfoot), Greek tortoise (Greek), Russian tortoise, tortoise Hermann, and the Indian Star tortoise. Here are a few things you need to know about choosing turtles: ^{[2] X Research Sources}

Although your turtle is quite small when you first bring it home, some turtles can grow to more than 60 cm in size after 5-10 years of care. If you are determined to keep a turtle for a long time, do not let the appearance of the turtle charm you, but consider which turtle species is suitable for your lifestyle, income level and environment and your ability to meet it. their needs.

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Buy turtles from reputable sellers. It’s important to buy your turtle from a seller you trust, have a successful business history, and can assure you that the turtle you’re selling is in good health. Avoid buying turtles at reptile shows, as you may not have a chance to contact the seller again after purchase, so they have no way to check on how well you care for the turtle.

Find sellers who pride themselves on their customer service, whether you shop at a pet store or search online. If the seller says you can easily get in touch with them after you buy the turtle, chances are you’ll have a secure transaction.
In the United States, there are a number of legal regulations governing the rearing and breeding of turtles, especially Mediterranean tortoises. If you want to keep this turtle, make sure the seller has a CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) certificate. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Make sure you can take on long-term responsibility for your turtle. Turtles aren’t the ideal pet for you if you’ve only been able to care for a turtle for a year or two. Turtles can live from 30 to 100 years, which means your pet tortoise may outlive you. But don’t worry; Just make sure you have a stable habitat for your turtle and know you’ll find someone to take care of your turtle if you have to move. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

You don’t have to live in the same place for 50 years, but you should be prepared to care for the new family member for many years.

Feeding and interacting with turtles

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Feed the turtle. The food for your turtle depends largely on the species of tortoise you choose. It is important that you ask the place where you buy the turtles about the main food for the turtle. In general, most tortoises eat green leafy vegetables, such as the usual “mixed salads” you can find at the grocery store. Baby turtles need to eat crunchier or softer foods because their tiny teeth have a hard time tearing through hard foods. Tortoises can eat most vegetables like broccoli, green beans or kale, especially when mixed with vegetables, but it’s important to know what kind of food you need for your tortoise. .

Your turtle may need supplements to grow strong and healthy. Supplements must contain calcium, in addition to some vitamin A, Vitamin D3 if you keep turtles indoors and do not have UV light.
Some turtles like to eat dandelion leaves, celery, lettuce, and occasionally fruit.

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Provide water for turtles. It is important that your turtle has enough water to stay healthy. Just pour some water into a shallow tray or dish and place it on the bottom of the cage so the turtle won’t topple over. The dish should be shallow enough that the turtle can easily step inside and lower its head to drink without being completely submerged. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Change the water every day. You need to set aside a separate bowl of water for your turtle, whether outdoors or indoors.

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Be careful when holding turtles in your hands. Never drop a turtle; If a turtle’s shell breaks, they can die from an infection. No matter how much you want to hold your pet turtle in your hand, you should refrain from picking it up or letting someone else do it. This can stress the turtle.

If you have small children at home, you should explain to them that if you love turtles, it is best to just look at them, and only pick them up when necessary during the care process.

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Soak your turtle in water several times a week. Turtles need enough water, especially when they are young. When you first bring your turtle home, you should soak the turtle in water a few times a week to keep it hydrated, keeping its head above the water. After being immersed in water, turtles usually begin to drink water right away. This is a sign that things are going well. Remember, it’s not always good to let your turtle soak in a lot of water. You should only submerge your turtle in water for up to two days at a time. The water for the turtle to soak should be as warm as baby bath water.

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Choose a place for turtles. Ideally, you should set aside an outdoor area for turtles. Many people think that keeping turtles only in the house is inhumane. If you are determined to keep a turtle, you should prepare an outdoor shelter for the turtle, except for baby turtles or turtles that can only stay indoors. If you decide to keep your tortoise indoors only, you should do your research and choose a breed that can accommodate this. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

You can also do a combination of the two, keeping your turtle indoors during the cold months and letting it play outdoors during the warmer months. You should prepare both types of homes for turtles to create conditions for them to live healthy and happy.
See the following sections for proper turtle care, whether outdoors or indoors.

Caring for domestic turtles

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Create a suitable home for the turtle in the house. When choosing a home for your tortoise, you need to consider the type of turtle house you prefer, whether it’s a glass aquarium or a glass aquarium. Remember that you need to set aside at least 2.8 square meters for a baby turtle. An aquarium of about 40 – 80 liters can be enough for a baby turtle, but it will grow very quickly, and you need to make sure your pet turtle has enough space to grow up.

You can use a glass tank, but your turtle will get frustrated easily because they often try to find a way through the glass. You should stick the paper on the outside of the glass so they don’t get confused.
You can also use a plastic container or a cement mixing tray to make a home for baby turtles. These items have the advantage that the box walls are opaque so turtles are not confused like glasses.
The turtle’s house must be high enough that they cannot escape.

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Provide enough light for the turtle. If you keep your turtles outdoors, you don’t have to worry that they don’t get enough light and therefore don’t get enough vitamin D for healthy growth. Here are a few things to consider when preparing the right lighting for your turtle: ^{[7] X Research Source}

You should use a table lamp with at least 100W for heating and another UV light to sunbathe the turtle, or just a mercury vapor lamp to provide both heat and UV light for the turtle.
Turtle heaters should have a temperature between 30–35 °C; but this temperature can vary, depending on the species of turtle.
Be sure to place the lights in a suitable location so that the turtle can absorb heat and cool off in other areas of the enclosure.
Providing heat and UV light for turtles is not only necessary for their health, but also for their happiness. Turtles love light baths!

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Use a substrate suitable for turtles. Lining material will cover the ground in the turtle rearing area and must be of the right composition to ensure the safety and health of the turtles. The most important thing is that, whether you keep your turtle indoors or outdoors, you need to make sure the substrate isn’t too wet, or your tortoise will be more susceptible to infection if it breaks or the skin hasn’t healed yet. strip off. The substrate material depends on the breed of the tortoise. You need to consider the following factors: ^{[8] X Research Sources}

If the breed of tortoise you keep requires medium or high humidity, the substrate should be able to hold moisture well. In this case, suitable materials include coir, sphagnum moss or peat moss.
If your turtle needs a drier environment, you can use materials like coir and hay.
Avoid using sand as a substrate, as turtles can eat sand and cause great trouble.
The substrate material is not very important when the turtle is outdoors, as the natural environment is already suitable. You can add some peat moss to your turtle’s habitat for extra stimulation. You just need to make sure what’s added to the backing doesn’t contain chemicals or pesticides.

Outdoor turtle care

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Install a barrier to protect turtles. It’s good for your pet tortoise to be outdoors when it’s comfortable outside. However, you cannot let turtles roam freely around the yard. Instead, you need to install a barrier to keep the turtle inside. You can build brick walls with mortar or sealed wooden walls.

Your turtle will try to find a way to dig in the corners of the cage, so the corners of the cage should be neat and strong. If you see turtles digging, you can add wire mesh below the surface of the fence to keep the turtle safe.
Turtles are not very cold tolerant, so unless they are kept indoors, you will have to prepare a place to temporarily bring your turtle indoors if the temperature drops below 15°C during the coldest months. It’s easier if you’re in a very hot climate and want to leave your turtle outdoors, but you’ll need to make sure there’s shade at all times, especially over wet areas or water sources.

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Provide shelter for turtles. Your turtle will need a hiding place to feel safe and to avoid heat, rain or other elements. You’ll want your turtle to be warm and comfortable, and not overheat. Ideally, make a burrow for turtles, where they will sleep and hide. You can make a turtle burrow out of wood and cover it with a few centimeters of soil and heat equipment when it’s cold, if necessary.

First, dig a large hole in the ground. You can put a layer of plywood on the bottom.
Install a roof above to make shelter for turtles.
Cover the roof with soil.

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Provide plants for turtles. You should plant enough plants around your tortoise’s outdoor habitat for them to eat and feel safe throughout the day. Take a look at a turtle’s diet to see which plants are poisonous and which are not toxic to turtles. In general, tortoises often eat large-leaved grasses such as dandelions, grasses, or clover.

Plants have the ability to control ammonia and nitrate in the soil, so you also have to change the substrate less often.

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Create a stimulating factor for the turtle. Your turtle needs an exciting environment for them to be active and not bored. You can put some grass in the turtle’s habitat for the turtle to dig and create shade. Add some rocks to give your pet turtle some privacy, as long as the rocks aren’t too steep. You can also plant a few small trees for shade and shelter, and embellish the surroundings.

Keeping turtles healthy

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Protect turtles from other animals. If you keep your tortoise outdoors, you’ll need to be careful that it doesn’t get harmed by predators, such as cats. If you have a dog at home, never let your dog get close to a turtle; Even the gentlest of dogs can suddenly attack turtles. While it’s impossible to keep turtles completely safe from birds, foxes, or other predators, try to protect them as much as possible by providing plenty of burrows and hiding places for turtles, keeping them safe. Keep the turtle area intact and keep an eye on the outside environment. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Some people recommend using wire mesh fences for baby turtles to protect them from dangerous animals.

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Help turtles stay healthy if they close their eyes. Many people think that there is something wrong with turtle eyes if they close their eyes. In fact, this phenomenon is rarely dangerous. With the turtle’s eyes closed, submerge them in water and sprinkle some water over the turtle’s burrow to increase the humidity if you keep your turtle indoors. If this happens frequently, it could be a sign of an infection, but it’s usually just the skin. Try instilling a solution of salt and water in the turtle’s eyes 1-2 times a day until the turtle’s eyes open, then feed the turtle some spinach for vitamin A every two days. The most common cause of vitamin A deficiency is dehydration. If symptoms persist for more than a week after home treatment, you should take your turtle to a veterinarian who specializes in reptile medicine.

Warning

Do not drop turtles, they can become infected and die if the shell breaks.
If you’re not feeding your tortoise with calcium supplements, it’s even more important to know the ratio of calcium and phosphorus in their food to ensure good shell growth.
Pay attention to the oxalate content of the vegetables the turtle eats. Every time a turtle consumes oxalic acid along with calcium, some of the calcium is left undigested, which is then converted into uric acid. Too much oxalate in some vegetables can cause uric acid to accumulate faster than the turtle’s ability to excrete, leading to kidney stones. Relative oxalate excess can also cause calcium deficiency.
Some species of turtles (such as the Russian tortoise) are commonly caught in the wild. This can cause stress and injury. Do not support this action! Turtles bred in captivity are often cheaper and better.

Things you need

Large fenced area for turtles
Heat and UV lamps (for indoor turtle accommodation)
Balanced food
Water to soak/bathe the turtles, to maintain moisture and keep the substrate moist
Sleeping/hiding place for turtles
Water dish
Backing Material

Steps