How to Take Care of a Turtle

Guide Note

Are ready to be responsible for a reptile? This page on How to Take Care of a Turtle describes how to care for a pet that can live more than 20 years.

Table of Contents

Turtle Tips
  1. Wash your hands before and after touching your turtle or its habitat.
  2. Handle the turtle gently.
  3. Keep the basking place warm using an incandescent bulb.
  4. Provide it with the UVB rays it needs to survive.
  5. Secure an outdoor turtle's pen from the bottom so it cannot dig out.
  6. Feed adult turtles two or three times a week.

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Introduction

  • Although a turtle is a relatively easy pet to care for, there are some things to think about before you bring one into your life. A turtle is a long-term commitment. With proper care, a pet turtle can live for decades.1 You also need to consider the cost of ownership.2 Although the turtle itself may be inexpensive, the total cost of owning it can be hundreds of dollars a year when you factor in housing, food and veterinary care.3

The Basics

(Creative Commons photo by FotoDawg)
(Creative Commons photo by FotoDawg)
  • The guidelines on this page are general, and while they apply to most turtles, some species require special care. Species-specific information can be found on Austin's Turtle Page or the World Chelonian Trust.4 5 The Turtle Times forum is also a great place to learn about your particular turtle.6
  1. As with any pet, you want to make sure that the first thing to you do is bring it to the vet.7 8 This initial visit will cost about $120, but is important in making sure you're starting off with a healthy turtle.2
  2. Handle your turtle gently.9 It may bite if feeling insecure or threatened.
  3. Wash before and after handling a turtle. It's also a good idea to disinfect surfaces that your pet touches, since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say 6% of salmonella cases are likely caused by reptiles and amphibians.10
  4. Please note that it is illegal to sell baby turtles (those with shells under 4 inches long) in the United States because of the salmonella risk.10

Step 1: Set Up the Habitat

  • A turtle's habitat should be similar to what it would experience in the wild. Aquatic turtles will require water to swim in, and a small spot of land to relax on. Land turtles need land to play in, and a small amount of water to wade in. For either type of turtle, it's important to remember that turtles rely on external heat sources for warmth.11

Aquatic Turtles

  • The red eared slider and painted turtle are common varieties of aquatic turtles that are kept as pets.12 Aquatic turtles live in water, but most also require a "basking spot" where they can dry out, warm up and absorb UV rays.13 Doctors Foster and Smith has a useful diagram of how to set up an Aquatic Turtle habitat.14
  1. Select a tank.
    1. A good rule of thumb for determining the size tank your turtle will need is to multiply his length in inches by 10 and round up to the nearest tank size.15 This means that a turtle that's 4 inches long would require a 40-gallon tank. By the time your turtle reaches 10 inches long, though, it will need a 100-gallon tank.
    2. The tank and water will be easier to clean if you don't layer the bottom with any materials (this is called a substrate).16
  2. Fill the tank with enough water so that your turtle can flip over totally while staying submerged. This means that the water depth should be at least as deep as the turtle is wide.12
    1. The water in the tank should be kept between 75 and 86 degrees F. You'll need an aquarium heater, as well as a thermometer to ensure that the heater is doing its job properly.7
    2. Clean water is essential for healthy turtles. Most aquarium filters are designed for fish, and turtles produce more waste than fish do. Consequently, an aquarium filter that's designed for a 20-gallon fish tank won't do a good job cleaning 20 gallons of turtle water. Make sure you purchase a filter that's designed to clean at least 3 times the amount of water in your tank.17
  3. Aquatic turtles also need a basking area, or a dry area kept at about 90 to 95 degrees F, accessible from the water, where the turtle can bask in the "sun" that you'll be providing for him.18 This can be made more natural with the additional of smooth rocks, driftwood, floating aquatic plants and partially submerged logs. A 50-watt incandescent light bulb located about 6 inches above the basking area can provide enough heat.19
  4. Full spectrum fluorescent light can be used to replicate natural sunlight.
    1. Even if you're using an incandescent light bulb as a heat source, you'll need another light source because incandescent bulbs don't provide UV rays.
    2. Reptiles need UVB, or middle wave ultraviolet light, to properly synthesize vitamin D and metabolize calcium.
    3. Buy a light at least 5% UVB in its spectrum. Place the bulb 12 to 18 in. above the turtle, and change the bulb every 6 to 12 months.20

Land Turtles

  1. The enclosure should be warm (usually no cooler than 75 F / 24 C) and moist.24
  2. Sphagnum peat moss, newspaper and top soil can all work as a substrate.
  3. Include a plastic shoe box, an upturned flower pot or a hollow log as a hiding place
    • Provide plants for shade, room to dig, leaves, and grass clippings.
  4. Land turtles also need water to drink and bathe in.
    1. Provide a half inch of water for soaking.
    2. You can buy a specialty dish, a large planter saucer or a cat litter pan for the water.
    3. Make sure you have an access ramp both in and out of the water area.
  • If you're planning to keep your land turtle indoors, the set up should be similar to an outdoor pen, except that you'll need to provide supplementary heat and light sources, just as are recommended for the aquatic turtle in the section above.

Step 2: Provide Food and Water

  • Research the natural history and diet of your particular type of turtle.25 In general, most aquatic turtles are carnivores, and land turtles are omnivores, eating a combination of meat and vegetables.26
  1. Give your turtle as much food as it can eat in a few minutes.27 This is usually a portion size equivalent to as much as would fit in his head and neck.
  2. To prevent a mess, move your turtle into another enclosure when feeding.
  3. Before and after feeding, wash your hands with hot, soapy water, and rinse thoroughly.

Aquatic Turtles

  1. Adults should be fed two or three times weekly, depending on their age and size. Juveniles should be fed daily.
  2. For omnivores, float leafy greens, food sticks or pellets on the water.28
  3. For carnivores, place the meal (worms or larva, usually) in a shallow saucer. Crickets may be set loose within the enclosure. Use tongs to dangle live prey for your turtle. Let fish swim in the aquarium or a special feeding bowl.28
  4. Commercial diets are convenient as they are easy to feed, create little mess, and are free of harmful bacteria. 29

Land Turtles

  1. Put finely chopped or shredded plant food in a shallow dish, saucer or in a substrate-free area of the enclosure.
  2. Mix any worms, larva and dead vertebrate prey with the plant food, or offer separately.
  3. If your turtle doesn't seem interested in the food, add one or two new food items each meal for variety.30 Chop them into tiny pieces and mix them with your turtle's favorite snacks.

Step 3: Be Aware of Health Issues

  • Like any pet, a turtle requires regular attention, exercise, feeding, fresh water, cleaning and the occasional trip to the vet. All of this goes a long way to prevent common health problems.31
  1. Weigh your turtle often enough so you can tell if it begins to lose weight. Look for any abnormalities, cuts or lumps.
  2. Check its feces. Are they well formed and is the food being digested? Is its urine clear or cloudy?

Potential Health Concerns

  • Observe your turtle every day so that you know its behavior and activity patterns. Changes from the norm may indicate an illness or injury. Even small changes in routine can stress a turtle. If you notice any major changes, it may be time to visit the vet. 32

First Aid

  • In most cases, you'll want to contact your vet. If he or she is not available, you can treat superficial cuts and scratches with a disinfectant solution, triple antibiotic ointment, surgical tape and gauze pads.33 Clean all cuts with disinfectant daily until healing is well along. Cover deep wounds. If the wound is serious or doesn't improve, take your turtle to a vet for stronger medication. A vet may recommend antibiotics, shell fragment removal, fiberglass shell reconstruction and taping of wounds.

Step 4: Keep it Clean

Cleaning the Habitat

  1. To clean a glass terrarium, use a weak bleach solution and paper towels.
  2. Adding 1/4 cup salt to each 5 gallons of water will prevent fungus growth between cleanings.
  3. Use an outdoor faucet and wash pan to clean turtle supplies. Don't bring them into a food prep area or clean them in the kitchen sink.
  4. A land turtle's enclosure should be cleaned on a regular basis. Do this by turning over the substrate or adding new topsoil to areas where the turtle spends a lot of time. Move the hide boxes to different locations occasionally to prevent fecal waste from accumulating.

Water

  • As turtles eat, drink and bathe in their water, you will need to change it frequently. Refresh a land turtle's water bowl daily. Wash and scrub it every few days to keep it clean. For an aquatic turtle, refresh a portion of the water every week and the whole aquarium monthly.

Cleaning an Aquatic Turtle

  • In the wild, a turtle develops algae on its shell. In captivity, the algae should be removed every so often, since it can lead to fungus growth. To remove algae from a turtle:34
  1. Hold the turtle under warm tap water.
  2. Gently brush it with a soft vegetable brush.

Conclusion

  • If properly cared for, your turtle will be around for many years. Taking the time in advance to learn how to care for a turtle helps you get off to a good start with this new addition to your family.

References for How To Take Care of a Turtle

  1. ↑ Animal Planet: Turtles as Pets: Important Issues
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 CostHelper.com: Turtle Cost
  3. ↑ ExpertVillage Videos: Cost of Owning a Turtle
  4. ↑ Austins Turtle Page: U.S. Turtles
  5. ↑ World Chelonian Trust: Turtle and Tortoise Care Sheets
  6. ↑ TurtleTimes.com: Turtle & Tortoise Care Sheet and Information Index
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Melissa Kaplan's Herp Care Collection: Red-Eared Sliders
  8. ↑ Tortoise Trust: Finding a Veterinarian for Your Sick Tortoise or Turtle
  9. ↑ Happy Turtle: Living with a Turtle
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 The Humane Society of the United States: Reptiles as Pets: Hazardous to Your Health and Theirs
  11. ↑ PetEducation.com: Red-eared Slider: Care & Feeding of this Common Pet Turtle
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 University of North Carolina: An Overview of Common Semi-Aquatic Turtles
  13. ↑ Doctors Foster and Smith: Lighting for Turtles & Tortoises: Why UV is Key
  14. ↑ Doctors Foster and Smith: Aquatic & Semi-Aquatic Turtle Habitats, How to Create
  15. ↑ Red Ear Slider: Turtle Tank Calculator
  16. ↑ Turtle Care Site: Turtle Tank Setup
  17. ↑ Reptile care: Turtles!
  18. ↑ Red Ear Slider: Basking Overview
  19. ↑ Amphibiancare: Juvenile Aquatic Turtles (Red-eared Sliders, Painted Turtles, etc.)
  20. ↑ Tortoise Trust: Understanding Reptile Lighting Systems
  21. ↑ Austin's Turtle Page: Guide to Choosing Your First Land-Based Turtle
  22. ↑ Animal World: Land Turtles and Tortoises WARNING: Pop-ups
  23. ↑ Austin's Turtle Page: Guide to Choosing Your First Land-Based Turtle
  24. ↑ Kingsnake.com: Redfoot Tortoise
  25. ↑ Tortoise Trust: Feeding Red Eared Sliders, Painted Turtles and Similar Aquatic Species
  26. ↑ Pet Education.com: Feeding Recommendations for Turtles and Tortoises
  27. ↑ University of North Carolina: On Feeding Turtles: When and How Much?
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Melissa Kaplan's Herp Care Collection: Feeding Tips for Carnivorous Reptiles (April 19, 2007)
  29. ↑ Animal Hospitals USA: Water Turtle Feeding
  30. ↑ BoxTurtleSite: Health Care for Box Turtles
  31. ↑ Tortoise Trust: Common Diseases of Tortoises
  32. ↑ Melissa Kaplan's Herp Care Collection: Signs of Illness and Stress in Reptiles (April 19, 2007)
  33. ↑ Melissa Kaplan's Herp Care Collection: Turtle and Tortoise Shell Repair
  34. ↑ Turtle Information Pages: Water Turtle Care Sheet--Health Issues

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