If you have never owned a pet turtle or terrapin, then you may think they’re difficult to care for. But if you ask some people who do own them, they can tell you all about how much work and effort it takes to keep these animals in tip-top shape.
Are Pet Turtles Or Terrapins the Right Choice For You?
Turtle Overview
Turtles are reptiles that have a hard shell and soft body. Turtles come in many colors, sizes, and structures.Most turtles have exceptionally long lifespans. When kept as pets, the more you socialize them, the happier they will be to get out of their cage for attention.
Turtles are not a good choice for families with young children. They can be aggressive and bite, especially when they feel threatened or scared. If you have small children who want to hold the turtle, you should supervise them at all times.
Turtles are not a good choice for people who don’t have time to care for them. Turtles need fresh water and proper food every day. They also need to be kept in a tank with adequate space for swimming and land for basking.
Turtles are not good pets for people who live in apartments or don’t have the time to care for them. They need to be kept in a tank with adequate space, and they should be allowed outside of their cage every day.
Turtles are not good pets for people who don’t have the money to care for them. They need a tank with adequate space, and they should be allowed outside of their cage every day.
Types of Turtles
There are over 356 different turtle types, which vary in size, color and care requirements. Some turtles are great for beginners while others are more difficult to care for. Our list of 33 turtle breeds includes just species that are easy for beginners!
Recommended Turtles for Beginners
The Red-eared slider is a recommended turtle for beginners because it is easy to care for and has a pleasant personality. Other turtles on the list, such as the Box turtle and Razor-backed musk turtle, are also easy to care for but can get larger than the Red-eared slider. Terrapins are an excellent choice for those who want a beginner turtle but are more sensitive to water quality than Map turtles or Painted turtles. Beginners should consider turtles that can handle a skipped water change or two. Some turtles are better suited for beginners than others. It is not recommended to skip water changes on these species of turtles.
Recommended Turtles for Beginners
Box turtles, Eastern box turtles, Western box turtles, Young green hermit crabs, Baby tortoises, Juvenile snakes
Painted Turtles
The four species of painted turtles in the United States are Eastern, Midland, Western, and Southern. Southern painted turtles are one of the smallest aquatic turtles commonly kept in the United States and are popular among turtle keepers because they have friendly personalities and small size. Painted turtles generally have a lively personality and love to swim and move around even when they’re grown up.
Common Musk Turtles (“Stinkpots”)
They spend a lot of time underwater and prefer a deep tank with plenty of things to explore, but they don’t need nearly as big a tank as some other turtle species. An adult Common Musk Turtle would be very happy in a 50 to 75-gallon (189 to 284-liter) tank provided it has good water filtration .
Slider Turtles
Slider turtles are popular pets because they’re hardy and easy to care for. They also have pleasant, tame, friendly personalities.Male Red-Eared Sliders can grow to between 7 and 9 inches (18 to 25 cm), and females to 11 to 13 inches (28 – 33 cm). Slider turtles make great pets if you can provide them with the care they need. Red-eared sliders in particular are often available for adoption, but only if you have the room and money to take care of them properly.
Turtles Are Messy
Aquatic species of turtle in particular often make a mess of the foods that they eat. Without proper filtration, water changes, and cleaning of the filter media, a turtle enclosure will quickly turn into cloudy or green water with an unhappy and unhealthy turtle.Many people who are not prepared with the proper filtration or neglect to do enough water changes need to overhaul their entire setups and clean everything thoroughly. This can be time consuming, messy, and all around an unpleasant experience.
Turtles are messy animals. Turtles love to play and explore their surroundings, which can lead to them being messy.Turtles will eat anything they can find, which can include leaves and other debris from the environment.Cleaning a turtle’s tank regularly is important to help maintain cleanliness and keep the turtle healthy.
They Are A Big Time Commitment
Keeping water quality high and clear is important for turtles. Cleaning the enclosure can be done in a number of ways, including weekly water changes or cleaning filter media. Dedicating 1 hour per week to turtle maintenance is recommended.
Turtles Do NOT Like To Be Handled
Turtles are not interactive pets and should only be handled when necessary. Handling a turtle can lead to stress and health problems in the future. It is important to remember that turtles are still wild animals and prefer dark hiding spots or areas away from commotion over human contact nine times out of ten.
Turtles Can Make You Sick
Turtles can make you sick if you interact with them too often. Salmonella is rampant during the same era in which hatchling red-eared sliders were extremely popular, and the two are thought to have been interrelated. Young children would put the turtles in their mouths and be exposed to salmonella.
Personality & Character Turtles Or Terrapins
Terrapins are social creatures that benefit from having cage mates to spend time with. They may nip if they feel threatened or overly bothered. Turtles have a relatively small brain, considering they are so large.
Food & Diet
Proper nutrition is essential for a healthy terrapin. Terrapins are omnivores and prefer a diet of plant-based foods over meat.A good option to feed your turtle is a commercially available complete food like King British Turtle & Terrapin Food Sticks or King British Turtle & Terrapin Complete Food (which also contains freeze dried crustacea).Vitamin D is important for turtles.Food can be added to swimming water to provide nutrition. There are nine different vitamins in turtle food
Health Concerns
Diamondback terrapins are generally healthy animals, but they can develop shell rot. Shell rot is less common in turtles born into captivity, but it’s still possible. Turtles living in captivity might experience other health problems, such as respiratory infections and vitamin A deficiency.
Suitable for:
Terrapins make great pets for virtually any household. They must be handled with respect and care. Turtles can be good pets for many households. There is a large variety of pet choices, too—so you can get very selective on exactly which pet turtle you want. Turtles are a great choice for those who want to get into the task of taking care of another creature.
Terrapin Overview
Terrapins are turtles that are native to different parts of the United States and Bermuda. Terrapins prefer the comfort of marshes, estuaries, and tidal creeks to call home—spanning all across northern coastal lines. Terrapins have fascinating skin with swirling colors and exciting patterns on their shell. You might see a terrapin frequently in a home aquarium since they are a widespread pet choice. Turtles and terrapins are closely related to the terrestrial tortoise that lives on land, but their habits and care requirements are very different.
Types of Terrapins
There are over 356 different types of turtle. Some turtles are easy to care for and great for beginners, while other types can be difficult to care for. Our list of 33 turtle breeds includes just species that are cute and easy for beginners! The Red-Eared Slider is the best turtle for beginner turtles. The Easternbox Turtle is the best turtle for intermediate turtles. The Woodland Loggerhead is the best turtle for more experienced turtles.
Personality & Character
Terrapins are social creatures that benefit from cage mates. Terrapins may be aggressive if they feel threatened or overly bothered.
Environmental Space
Terrapins need access to both brackish and dry land. A filtration system is needed to clean the water.Proper lighting is essential for terrapins to grow properly.
Food & Diet
Proper nutrition is of utmost importance for terrapins. Terrapins are mostly carnivorous, but can also eat vegetation.A good idea is to use a commercially available complete food like King British Turtle & Terrapin Food Sticks or King British Turtle & Terrapin Complete Food (which also contains freeze dried crustacea). You can also buy commercial turtle foods, but you need to offer other items into their diet, too. Some favorite foods for many turtles are: leafy greens , chopped apples , shrimp , and live insects .
What is turtle food?
Turtles are omnivores, which means they eat both plants and animals. They mainly eat insects, but will also sometimes eat algae or aquatic plants.
Turtle food is any kind of vegetation that you can offer to your turtle, and also insects or other meaty foods like fish. It’s important to know what a turtle eats in the wild, as this will help you to make sure they are getting a balanced diet. Turtle food is also sometimes called turtle pellets or turtle food sticks .
Health Concerns
Diamondback terrapins are generally healthy reptiles, but shell rot is a potential health concern. Shell rot is less common in turtles born into captivity, but it can still occur. If you take care of your turtle correctly, it should have a healthy animal – that doesn’t mean it won’t develop any sickness or disease.
Suitable for:
Terrapins make great pets for virtually any household or family. They are easy to care for and do not require a lot of space or special equipment. They are also relatively inexpensive to purchase, and your local pet store or breeder should be able to provide you with a healthy turtle for about $30-$50. Terrapins make great pets for people who are interested in learning about turtles and amphibians. They are easy to care for and do not require a lot of space or special equipment.
They must be handled with respect and care, however, as they are still a living creature and can be easily injured if not handled correctly. Terrapins make great pets for people who want to get their hands dirty. They need to be fed daily, and their water must be changed regularly. They also need to have a suitable habitat with a basking area (where they can get out of the water) and somewhere dry where they can rest.
They are not recommended as a pet for small children, as they may accidentally drop them or get too rough with them.
Diamondback Terrapin
The Diamondback Terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin terrapin, is a freshwater turtle that prefers brackish water. They are tolerant of different salinity ranges and can be happy in a freshwater habitat.They are very active turtles with friendly personalities and love to swim.
Adult male DBTs usually range from about 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) in length and adult females from about 6 to 9 inches (15 to 23 cm). Diamondback Terrapins can be found at Kennedy International Airport in New York City during nesting season. You can learn more about Diamondback Terrapins here.
