How to Take Care of Baby Turtles

Turtles are relatively easy animals to keep, although you will need some special equipment. Baby turtles don’t need much different care than adults, but you have to take extra care to protect baby turtles from outside hazards, as they are so small and vulnerable. When you buy a turtle, it is extremely important that you determine what species it belongs to. There are many different species of turtles from all over the world, so their diets and habitats are also different.

Table of Contents

Prepare a place for turtles

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Choose the right barn. Your baby turtle needs a place to stay, but it’s not always possible. The aquarium that many people use is actually not the ideal home for turtles because the walls are too high and the floor space is often insufficient. Baby turtles also don’t know it’s glass and can stab their heads in. A shallow and wide container is much better. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Large plastic boxes are also suitable for indoor turtles (remember, the box is not covered).
If you need a larger turtle cage, you can build or buy a turtle table, which is a wide wooden cage with high legs.

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Expose turtles to UV rays. In the wild, turtles often bask in the sun to regulate their body temperature and absorb vitamin D. To stay healthy, it’s important to simulate sunbathing in captivity. ^{[2] X Research Source}

It’s also a good idea to let your turtle out in the sun for a few hours a week, but make sure you don’t cover the tank when it’s in direct sunlight as the tank will get very hot.
When turtles are not exposed to natural sunlight, you can use UV lamps to create artificial sunlight.
The amount of time that turtles need to be exposed to UV light depends on the species, but can range from 8-12 hours per day.

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Make sure the turtle’s habitat has the right temperature and humidity. All turtles need to live in a warm environment. You should buy a heater to create a temperature difference in the barn. One side of the house should be at 22°C, and the other at 29°C. The right humidity will depend on the species of turtle, so you need to determine the species of turtle you are keeping. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Desert turtles need to be kept in a dry environment, while tropical turtles need a wet habitat.
Some turtle species may require even warmer temperatures, so it’s important to understand the needs of the turtle you’re keeping.
You can increase humidity by moistening the substrate, especially in heated areas. You can tilt the barn slightly to keep all the moisture on one side. This will create distinct microclimates for your turtle to choose from. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Provide water and nutrients for turtles

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Provide drinking water for turtles. Remember to give the turtle a shallow bowl of water to drink from. Change the water regularly to keep it clean. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Don’t worry if your turtle doesn’t seem to be drinking much. Some turtles, especially those native to arid climates, drink very little, but you should still have water available for them.

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Let the turtle soak in water weekly. Once every 1-2 weeks, you should soak your turtle in a bowl of room-temperature water for 15-20 minutes. This helps keep the turtle moist.

Make sure the water level is not higher than the turtle’s chin.
Your turtle may start drinking while soaking, so be sure to use clean water.

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Feed your turtle a varied menu. All turtles need to be fed a variety of foods to get all the nutrients they need. However, each species of turtle has specific nutritional needs. You need to identify the species of turtle you are keeping and feed it according to the recommendations. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Desert turtles need a combination of grasses, vegetables, cactus flowers, and small amounts of fruit.
Herbivorous turtles such as leopard tortoises need to eat a variety of grasses and leafy vegetables. You should not feed them meat or other vegetables. It’s okay to feed your turtle a strawberry once in a while, just remember not to feed it every day. ^{[9] X Research Source}

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Provide vitamins for turtles. Supplementing vitamin D and calcium for baby turtles is extremely important. Turtles can die from lack of these nutrients, so don’t skip this step! A multivitamin is also helpful to help balance the turtle’s nutrition. ^{[10] X Research Source}

You can buy powdered supplements at turtle food stores or crush supplements in pill form.

Keeping turtles safe and healthy

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Protect your turtle from predators. Baby turtles are extremely vulnerable to predators because they are so small. You need to take care to protect turtles from animals such as dogs, cats, raccoons and birds. ^{[11] X Research Source}

If you keep your tortoise indoors, make sure other pets don’t have access to the turtle’s enclosure.
If you take your turtle outdoors, be sure to cover the fence with sturdy metal nets to deter predators.

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Refrain from picking up turtles. Baby turtles are prone to stress, so it’s important to avoid picking them up too much. Gentle petting and hand-feeding is fine, but you should wait until the turtle is older to pick it up more often. ^{[12] X Research Source}

If you pick up a turtle, you need to be careful not to turn the turtle upside down or drop it, causing it to stress.
Do not allow children to hold turtles unattended or for long periods of time.

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Prevention of pyramidal disease. Pyramid disease is very common in captive turtles. The disease occurs when a turtle’s shell develops abnormally, causing the shell to be rough instead of smooth. The disease usually begins to develop during the first 1-2 years of a turtle’s life. ^{[13] X Research Source}

Pyramidal disease can be caused by a lack of calcium and/or moisture. Try increasing your tortoise’s calcium intake by sprinkling a balanced dose of calcium into their food. You can also try increasing the humidity in the coop.

Advice

There are dozens of different species of turtles, and each has its own needs, so be sure to research the specific species of turtle you’re keeping for more detailed information.
Turtles live long and will grow to be very large, so you need to be mentally prepared to care for the turtle for a lifetime before bringing a baby turtle home.
Even if you plan to keep your tortoise outdoors in the future, it’s still a good idea to keep your tortoise indoors for the first few years.
African spurred turtles, when living outdoors, will hibernate during the cold months.

Steps

Prepare a place for turtles

Provide water and nutrients for turtles

Keeping turtles safe and healthy

Advice

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