A lot of people ask how old their pet turtles or tortoises will live for. The short answer to that question: a really long time. While turtles in captivity don’t tend to live as long as their wild counterparts, some can live longer than their human keepers.  How does the lifespan of a turtle or tortoise compare to other living beings? Scroll down and down and down to find out…

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How to Take Care of a Turtle

The information on this section is not intended as a guide to breeding turtles but instead on how to raise baby turtles that one your turtles has given birth to. Breeding turtles should be left to the professionals and breeders that have the resources to and legal means to find homes for all their hatchlings. You should of course separate the males from the females if you don’t want your turtles breeding and having babies. Box turtles come into to breeding age around 8 years old and aquatics around 5, when females are about 5-6 inches long. However, if this is too late and you either have a pregnant female, a nest full of eggs or new hatchlings, this section will provide you with all the information you need to raise them properly.

Caring for Turtle Eggs

Place your turtle’s eggs half into the substrate (vermiculite) of your incubation tank (incubator) and let them be. Do not pick them up once they are in this tank. Doing so can damage the unborn turtles. Your incubation tank should be kept at constant temperature with the right amount of moisture. Eggs can dry up so it’s important to keep the humidity up around 70-80%. Box turtles should be kept in temps around 84*f (29*c), tortoises around 85-88*f (29.5*c-31.5*c) and aquatic turtles in the low 80s (28*c). The warmer the temperatures within those ranges will lead to females, while the lower temperatures will lead to males being born.

Depending on the species, the length of time it takes for their eggs to hatch will vary. Leopard tortoises can take over 200 days to hatch, 75-85 days for Mediterranean breeds, 60-100 days for box turtles and anywhere from two to eight months for aquatic turtles. Due to these long periods, it’s recommended to use a commercial incubator and not rely on a homemade tank.

Raising Hatchlings

When your turtle eggs begin to hatch, don’t disturb them and don’t assist them. Some hatchlings will get out quick and easy while other will take a day or longer. Some might even still have a yolk sac attached to their plastron. If the sac ruptures, the baby turtle could die; so again, let them be during this time.

Feeding baby turtles

Feed your babies every 1-2 days until they are about a year old. They likely won’t be hungry for the first few week until they use up their yolk.  Many species are omnivore and eat both greens and animal proteins. Those that do eat protein, tend to eat a lot more when they are newborns and juveniles than when they are fully grown. See what your aquatic turtle eats or what your what your box turtle or tortoises eats. When feeding a tiny baby turtle, you need to offer it foods that it can get its mouth around. Things like blood worms and brine shrimp are great for baby aquatic turtles and chopped up worms, tiny live crickets or bit size pieces of squash are suitable for box turtles. Read more on how to take care of a turtle





Photos by audreyjm529, 62292905@N00

How to Take Care of a Turtle

Turtles in their natural habitat will hibernate if their given climate gets cold during the winter months. When the outdoor temperatures drop, the days get shorter and the sun sits lower in the sky, turtles and tortoises will begin to prepare for a period of hibernation. Technically this period for turtles is call brumation but for readability, we will use the term “hibernation”.

Turtles are cold blooded animals and when it gets too cold, they have a difficulty moving their limbs and digesting their food. In combination with these factors and the fact that there often isn’t as much food available durning the winter months, it only makes sense for them to find a safe quiet place to live out the winter. These safe quiet places usually involves a dugout burrow that gets them bellow the frost line or under a thick bed of rotting leaves.

On the other extreme, some desert tortoise, box turtles and aquatic turtles will go into a period of dormancy during times of extreme temperatures. In essence, this is for the same reasons that some turtles hibernate; which is, survival. During hot dry spells, it’s important that these chelonians escape these extreme temperatures by burrowing into the ground or hiding under leaves, bushes or logs where the environment is much cooler. If a tortoise or turtle, especially an aquatic turtle is expose to long periods of drought and heat, they can dry out and die (Desiccation). For this reason, you should always provide some sort of cover or escape in your outdoor turtle and tortoise pens

To Hibernate or Not?

Some turtles and tortoise species hibernate while others do not. Tropical tortoises like the Red Footed tortoise and Asian box turtle species such as the Malayan and Keeled don’t. Many of the box turtles that originate from the South Eastern United States, are used to much shorter cold periods and thus don’t hibernate as long or start later. Understanding what type of turtle you have will help you determine if and when it is time to put them into hibernation. It’s healthy to hibernate them so you should if they are ready and able.

Requirement for Hibernation

Only hibernate your turtles or tortoises is you and your vet can answer yes to all of these

• The Temperature is close to 50*F/10*c (Usually starting around Sept-Oct)
• They are healthy and no signs of illness or disease
  • No swelling on the head or ear infections
  • No open wounds that need to heal
  • No dry or flaky skin (vitamin deficiency)
  • No discharge from eyes nose or mouth
  • No swollen or shut eyes
  • No white or light colored tongue
• They are not young juveniles, less than a few years old
• You have a safe and secure location to hibernate them

Preparing Your Turtles

Towards the end of the Summer, add more greens that include vitamin A or a cod liver oil supplement into your turtle’s diet. Only a few drop of the oil is needed during the entire month because vitamin A is fat soluble and will stay in your turtle’s system throughout winter. As you begin to recognize your turtle slowing down, decreasing its food intake and attempting to dig a burrow, you will know it’s time to prepare them for hibernation. At this point you should stop feeding them and allow them to soak daily so they can clear out their digestive tract. Food left in the stomach and intestine can rot and lead to health problems. Right before you place them away for the winter, soak them one last time and inspect them for illness.

Outdoors

Turtles in the wild hibernate outside so your pet turtles can survive outside too; given you live in a climate that is similar to their own. However, it’s not as easy to checkup on them and make sure they are healthy. It also leaves them open to predators and pests. If you do decide to keep them outside, make sure you secure the hibernation chamber so predators can’t get to them. You do this by digging a pit into the ground that is about two to three feet deep and two feet across. Make sure it’s not dug into an area that is prone to flooding. Next fill the pit with mulch, moss, and grass clippings and them moisten it with hose. Once you place the turtles into the pit, allow them to dig down before placing additional leaves and mulch on top of them. For added protection, add a piece of plywood on top of the pit raised up by a few bricks. This will keep the rain out and predators away.

Indoors

It’s easier and safer to hibernate turtles and tortoises indoors. Well in a garage, shed or barn that has electricity. This method allows you to control the temperatures and make sure they are doing okay. You can build a box or use a storage bin to use as a hibernation tank. Inside these containers, fill them with styrofoam peanuts or another packaging material. Then place another box inside all of that. Inside this interior box, add shredded paper or a loose substrate. Finally, place a turtle inside that box and loosely close both lids. You don’t want it air tight otherwise they would suffocate. You might want to add a few ventilation holes in both boxes. Place this box on a shelf or on a few pieces of insulation board to raise it off the cold floor and keep bugs out.

Refrigerator

Box turtles that are kept inside should not be allowed to hibernate inside an heated home. The temperatures are not cold enough and they will never go into a state of torpor. You can either use the method or use a refrigerator set to 45-50*F. Place a container inside your spare fridge with a layer of substrate. Place a lid with ventilation holes on top of this container. You can then monitor the temperature of the refrigerator to ensure it is the ideal temp (get a quality thermometer to place inside. By opening the door once a day should be enough to provide fresh oxygen for them. If you have a fridge with multiple turtles, consider drilling a small hole or two in the top of the door. The cold air will settle on the bottom so place your turtles on the bottom shelves.

Routine Checkups During

Weigh all turtles periodically to ensure they are not losing an excessive amount of weight. Turtles should lose more than 10% of their weight during hibernation. If any of them have lost too much weight, you should take them out of hibernation and over winter them inside a in a turtle tank. Warm them up slowly over the course of a week. For the first month, you can take them out and soak them in tepid water every other week and then again in early spring. Between those periods, you can check them once a month.

Waking them Up when it’s Time

When night temperatures get above 50*F and day time temps are in the 60s, turtles will begin to emerge from hibernation chambers. In the wild they will hibernate from October to March but you can bring them out of hibernation sooner if you can provide them summer like conditions using heaters and lights. Turtles that have been the refrigerator should only be allowed to hibernate for three month. You can take them out of hibernation by slowly raising the temp of the fridge over a week or so.

Turtles will likely not eat right after they wake up but you need to provide them with fresh water daily. If yo notice any of your turtles are underweight, you should try to get them to eat sooner. Finally you should inspect them for diseases and illnesses and treat any health issues right away.

How to Take Care of a Turtle

Superficial Wounds

superficial wounds such as scratches and minor cuts are common place among turtles. This is especially the case when it comes to turtles and tortoises that are housed outdoors or in groups of aggressive males. It’s not practical to take your injured pet into the vet every time it gets a cut not to mention it costing a lot of money in the long run. However, as a good owner, you need to treat these wounds, otherwise they might get infected and will require a trip to the vet.

Usually all that is needed is some disinfectant, triple antibiotic ointment and a bandage. Begin by cleaning the wound with a disinfectant such as chlorhexidine gluconate or a 1:10 diluted povidine-iodine. Then use a magnifying glass to inspect the injured area. You might see small amounts of debris that needs to be removed. This can be done by using a clean gauze pad, Q-tip or a pair of tweezers (If you use a Q-tip, don’t leave any cotton fibers behind). Once the area is free of debris, protect it with some gauze and tape (Vetwrap, Band-Aid or New Skin). Finally, bring your injured turtle inside and place it into a hospital tank to avoid flies from laying eggs inside the wound (See botfly, blowfly) and to be able to clean the wound daily until it’s healed.

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Respiratory Infections

Respiratory infections are one of the more common illnesses that can affect turtles.  These infections can result in several observable signs including:

The causes of respiratory infections include several bugs and viruses; Runny Nose Syndrome (RNS) and Mycoplasma agassizii to name a few. Fungal and bacterial infections are also known to cause respiratory illnesses. Often, these occur when living conditions are consistently too cold. In regards to land living, non tropical species or tortoises, having living conditions that are too damp can also lead to this type of illness.

To treat a respiratory infections, raise the temperature of your turtle’s table or tank to 83-87*F (28-31*c). If your turtle is an aquatic species, check the water temp and make sure it is not too cold. If dampness is the issue, try using bedding material that is not as absorbent and provide better ventilation. Sometimes these fixes will be enough for your turtle to get better on it’s own but in more serious cases, a trip to the vet might be necessary. They will likely give you a broad spectrum antibiotic such as, enrofloxacin or ceftazidime. If you do use antibiotics, soak your turtles or tortoises several times a day so they can expel the toxins associated with the drugs.
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Diarrhea

A bout of diarrhea is a clear signs that your turtle is not feeling well. The Feces of a turtle or tortoise should be firm, dark in color and have little odor. The causes of diarrhea include: watery foods like fruits, a diet that is too low in fiber, internal parasites or a virus similar to the flu. In any case, you should quarantine your pet in a hospital tank for observation. If the cause is thought to be something other than a poor diet and the diarrhea is greenish in color and watery, consider taking it to the vet for treatment.
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Dehydrated

Dehydration is not something you might think affect turtles and tortoises but in reality, these animals need an adequate source of water. While the desert tortoise species do a good job of conserving water, they do benefit from a constant supply of fresh water. Signs of dehydration include:sunken eyes, flaky dry skin, tacky mucous membranes, thick saliva and weight loss. The cause of it is due to a lack of water in their system. Diarrhea is a major contributor to a dehydrated turtle. In severe cases, you should take your pet to the veterinarian.
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Eye Problems

The eyes of your turtles should be fully open, clear, shiny and free of debris. If you notice that your pet has an eye or eyes that are swollen, sunken, crusty, pus under the eyelids or that they have trouble fully opening them, it’s a good indicator that something is not well. A turtle that can’t see won’t eat so it’s important to treat the eye infection or issue as soon as possible. Knowing how to treat an eye problem, you must first know what the underlying issue is.

Many times, it’s the result of a lack of humidity, poor hydration or a respiratory infection. Sometimes it could be a simple as there being debris in its eye. Bedding materials that can poke their eyes or that throws up particles into the air should be avoided. Never use pine or cedar bedding not only because of the risk of debris getting stuck in your turtle’s eyes but also because these types of wood emit toxic odors into the air that can lead to liver damage.

Another cause is due to a vitamin A deficiency. The harderian glands are susceptible to inadequate levels of vitamin A. This leads to less secretions and pus buildup. Too much vitamin A can also cause eye problems or what is called hypervitaminosis A. In this case, the eyes will look swollen and skin lesions and redness will appear.

If the eyes are crusted shut, soak your turtles in warm water at depths of half its body. You can also try using a spray bottle to clear the eye of crust. Depending on the symptoms, you might want to add or subtract a vitamin A supplement from your turtle’s diet. In serious cases, a visit to the vet is needed to get a softening agent to help loosen up the crusty discharge.
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Abscesses

If you notice lumps, bumps or swelling under the skin of a turtle, it might be a sign of an abscess. These can occur pretty much anywhere on a turtle. Turtles are susceptible to middle ear infections which can result in an aural abscess that can be seen on the side of their heads. It looks like a big bump on the side of the head.

In addition to ear infections, abscesses are caused by several other factors; these include: respiratory illnesses or poor turtle care involving dirty water, water that is too cold, having too much or too little humidity and or a poor diet. Many of these issue allow opportunistic bacteria to take hold and infect a turtles body.

Experienced keepers are sometimes able to drain a turtle’s abscess without the need to go to a vet but if you have never seen it done or don’t know what you are doing, don’t attempt it; you might end up making the problem worse. A vet can use a needle or syringe to drain the pus and then treat the wound. It’s important to keep this newly formed wound clean and covered. It’s best to bring your turtle inside to keep flies and other critters from attacking the open wound.
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Overgrown Claws and Beaks

Captive turtles that don’t have adequate furnishings like rocks or rough walking surfaces in their turtle pens and or a poor diet that lacks some sort of hard foods like insects with bones can acquire overgrown claws or beaks. This can lead to a misshaped jaw and a difficulty eating or toenails that get caught in gaps that can get stuck and rip a toe right off. In the wild, turtles eat their food straight off the ground which can often be a surface that is rough. They will also walk on these same surfaces. What this does is help file down their beaks and toenails.

Both the beak and toenails are made out of the same materials that our finger nails are made out of and likewise, also continue to keep growing their entire lives. While you and I can use a pair of nail clippers to cut our nails, a turtle’s beak is much thicker than any pair of clippers can handle (You can however trim their toenails with clippers). The solution for trimming a beak is to use a high speed rotary file. This will cleanly trim them down and avoid chipping or cracking. If you try to use a set of clippers, you can crack the beak which can become a serious problem. You then might have to take it to the vet to have the beak wired or secured in place with a type of cast in order for it heal safely.

When trimming the toenails, be sure not to cut the quick. The quick contains nerves and tissue that will lead to pain and bleeding if cut. It’s located at the base of the toenail and can be seen as a slightly more opaque part of the toenail. Longer nails tend to have longer quick so you might have to slowly trim them down over time in order to get them to a proper length.

Avoid overgrown beaks and claws by having some rough surfaces to allow them to walk and eat on and provide your turtle with a piece of cuttle bone to chew on. Cuttle bone is available at pet stores and often sold in the bird section. See more on how to take care of a turtle.

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Won’t Eat

Many things can cause a turtle to stop eating. Some of them are nothing to worry about while others can be rather serious issues. For starters, if the temperatures drop to cold, turtles will stop eating. This is natural and happens right before the go into hibernation in late fall. If your turtle’s living space is too cold and you are not trying to hibernate them, add an additional heating element to warm their space.

Another minor issue is that your turtles have become picky eaters and you are not offering them food that is appetizing to them. Or, it could be that one of your turtles is just shy and doesn’t want to come out to eat. In these cases, try switching up the foods you feed them and for the shy ones, feed them next to overhanging plants for an added sense of security.

More serious problems can include any of the following: your turtle can’t see, has a respiratory issue, an overgrown beak or Dystocia (egg binding).
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Gut Impaction

If you notice that your turtle isn’t going to the bathroom, strains while trying to go, has a prolapsed cloaca or it’s been some time since its last bathroom break, it might be suffering from constipation or a gut impaction. Constipation isn’t that serious of a problem; although constant bouts of constipation can lead to an impaction. To cure constipation, try adding some more greens into their diet and allows them to soak a few times a day. That should be enough to help the digestion to work itself out.

Impaction is similar to constipation but is much more serious. When a turtle eats off the substrate floor and not on a flat rock, it might ingest sand and dirt which can cause blockage. Additionally, blockage can occur when your turtles eat to many indigestible foods such as shell or bones or from internal parasites.

You can try to treat a gut impaction by adding salad oil or vitamin E oil into your turtle’s food to help lube up its digestive tract. Also, soak them several time a day to encourage them to go to the bathroom. If those fail to remedy the problem, you might try a feline hairball remover. If non of these tactics work, after a week or no bathroom breaks, take your turtle into the vet for additional treatment options.
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Metabolic Bone Disease

Metabolic bone disease or nutritional secondary hyperarathyroidism is what’s called when a turtle’s shell grows irregularly or at a slower rate as the rest of its body. The signs and symptoms of this can include: a softened shell, a malformed shell or bones, depressed or inward looking shell, thickening or curling of the marginal scutes, Pyramiding of scutes or a turtle that drags itself while trying to walk.

The causes for this debilitating disease is an improper diet that is low in calcium or a turtle or tortoise that doesn’t receive enough full spectrum sunlight. Calcium helps build strong bones and Vitamin D helps in that process as well. Since a turtles shell grows slowly, it’s often not easy to see a problem until it has already taken a toll of your pet. In regards to pyramid shaped scutes, this is often caused by low humidity or excessive protein in the turtle’s diet.

To avoid this becoming a serious issue, as soon as you notice a shell deformity, you should to feed your turtle more calcium rich foods like dandelions, collard greens, mustard, or endive and calcium supplements. Additionally, provide it with more UV B light. The best source of Vitamin D is natural sunlight so allowing your pet some time outside is a good idea. UV B light doesn’t penetrate through glass so if your light has to go through a glass hood before reaching your turtle, you need to remove it.

This condition can kill you pet overtime and it definitely won’t have a good quality of life with an undersized or deformed shell – It’s not a bad idea to take your turtle to the vet when you first notice signs or metabolic bone disease.
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Shell Rot

Shell rot or Septemic Cutaneous Ulcerative Disease (SCUD) is caused when a scratch, open wound or some other injury becomes infected with an opportunistic pathogen such as a bacterial or fungal infection. Bacterial infections cause a wet rot and fungal infections cause a white rot. Most cases of shell rot occur in aquatic species but land species of box turtles and tortoises can also get it.

The signs of wet rot include: a spotted discolored shell that is soft which may or not smell rotten. The symptoms of dry rot include: pitted, flaky and whitish patches on the shell.

The root cause of shell rot is often due to dirty water. To avoid this condition, keep your turtle’s water clean by changing it often. If your turtle is already suffering from a case of shell rot though, you will need to treat it before it gets worse. You will need to take your pet to the vet to allow them to remove the rotten parts and prescribe an antibiotic to help fight the infection. You will then be told to keep your turtle dry and only allow it to be in the water for a short period each day. Keeping the shell dry helps slow the infection from spreading and the short soak keeps your turtle from becoming dehydrated.
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Mouth Rot

Mouth rot or Necrotic Stomatitis is often caused when a long term illness allows opportunistic bacterial or fungal infections to infect the mouth of your turtle. This can look like the following: cheesy white growths, pus and dead tissues, red and black blisters on the tongue or palate of the mouth. The best way to treat this condition is to take your sick turtle to the veterinarian for a anti-fungal medication and or some antibiotics.
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Internal Parasites

Internal parasites are worms such as nematodes, cestodes and trematodes (pin-worms, hookworms, ascarids) or protozoans that are ingested into the the turtle’s intestines when they eat foods or substrate that is contaminated with one of these types of parasites. Signs and Symptoms of a turtle with internal parasites include any of the following:

If you recognize any combination of these symptoms, you should make a visit to the vet. Your vet can take a stool sample to see exactly what type of parasite your turtle is infested with. In fact, you should have your turtle’s stool tested once or twice a year during its regular checkups. If parasites are indeed the problem, you will be given a prescription for deworming meds. It’s important to let your vet tell you what dewormer to use since some of the ones used to treat worms in other animals are toxic to your turtles. Don’t use Ivermectin, Piperazine. Some safer ones include: Pyrantel Pamoate for parasite worms and Praziquantal for tapeworms.

There are a few protozoans or single celled organism that can be problematic for turtles and tortoises. Hexomita, Coccidiosis and Entamoeba are a few of these. The signs of Hexomita includes urine that is dark green and smelly, anorexia and fluid retention. This can lead to kidney damage and death if gone untreated. Coccidiosis can be spotted by observing severe diarrhea. These can be treated using flagyl (Metronidazole). An infected turtle with Entamoeba doesn’t always show and physical signs but they can infect other types of turtles and kill them. This is another reason not to house multiple breeds in the same tank or pen.
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External Parasites

When you house your turtles in an outdoor pen, you are more likely to come across external parasites. Indoor turtle tables and tanks can get external parasites too but usually only if you add decorations and substrate from outside without cleaning them first. These pests can include any of the following plus others not mentioned:

Several of these garden and pond pests can be treated just by picking them off with a pair of tweezers or by scrubbing them off as with mites, ticks, leaches and chiggers. More in depth information on mites and ticks and fly larvae will be discussed in sections immediately bellow.

When dealing with fire ants on the other hand, you need to be careful; not only so you don’t get bit but also that you eliminate the source of them (the ant hill). Fire ants can kill your pet turtles since the natural defense or a turtle is to tuck in instead of fleeing for safety. The ants get inside and attack the head, legs and marginal scutes of your tucked in turtles and with enough bites, it can be deadly; especially the smaller ones.

You can use boiling hot water to pour into small ant hills but if they are larger, you might need to use chemicals or bait traps to eliminate them. If you use chemicals inside your pen, you need to keep your turtles away from it. Add a temporary fence around the problem area and then after treating, remove the treated substrate. Bait traps can be placed inside a bucket with some holes in it that only the ants can get into. Bait traps seem to be the easiest and safest way to eliminate fire ants. All of these safety measures will keep your turtles from ingesting any toxic chemicals.
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Mites and Ticks

Mites and ticks appear as tiny dark specs usually on the backsides of the legs or neck of a turtle. There are several kinds of mites and ticks but none of them are usually result in a major problem. To remove ticks, use a pair of tweezers or your fingers to carefully pull on the thorax of the pest. It’s important to try and pull them off in one piece (pull straight up for best results). If you leave the head attached to the skin, it can cause an infection and require additional treatment from a vet.

Snake mites (ophionyssus natricis) can be a problem with turtles that are kept inside near other reptiles like snakes. Take the turtles and using a toothbrush, scrub their shells, legs and heads with warm water and antiseptic. You may need to repeat this several times in order to completely remove the mites. Around the eyes of the infested turtles, add a layer of ophthalmic antibiotic ointment. If you use a commercial miticide, make sure they are safe for chelonians. That means don’t use miticide that has Ivermectin or organophosphates.

To minimize the chances of another outbreak, in outside pens, turn the substrate and allow it to dry out before adding a new layer on top of it. In inside tanks, clean all the surfaces, boxes, bowls, hoods and glass and replace the substrate.
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Blowfly Botfly

Botfly: The Botfly will lay its eggs on the skin around the turtle’s neck or legs. When the larvae hatches, they will chew holes in the skin and eat the flesh as they grow.
Blowfly: The Blowfly or flesh fly (Lucilia Sericata and Cistudinomyia cistudinis) can smell blood and flesh. They will quickly lay their eggs inside an open wound. The maggots that hatch and eat large amounts of flesh in what is called as a myiasis or “fly strike“. These attacks can lead to large amounts of blood and mass loss leading to death in serious cases.

The signs of these flies include: swelling and small lumps on the skin that will have a small opening that the larvae got in through. Pupate will also be seen emerging and dropping to the ground. This is different than an abscess lump

To treat this condition, you will probably have to take your turtle to see a vet where they will cut open the lump and remove the larvae by flushing the open wound with povidone-iodine. Experienced keepers can do this themselves but a vet can provide a local anesthesia like Lidocaine. After the larvae are removed, a bandage will be needed to stop the bleeding and protect it from another attack. A covered hospital tank is the best way to keep botflies and blowflies away.
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Gout

Gout is most common among plant eating tortoises. It’s caused by an improper diet that includes too much protein. When gout occurs, crystals form in the turtle’s joints causing them to become stiff and swollen. Your turtle will might have trouble walking and in general, look un happy. You should bring the turtle to the vet for medical attention. They can prescribe pain medication and also give injections to relief the pain. You will also have to decrease or eliminate most of the protein from your turtle’s diet. Many tortoises are herbivores and don’t eat protein.
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Viral Infections

The herpes virus is a viral infection that can spread among groups of turtles and tortoises. Hatchlings that kept in large numbers in a single tank are susceptible viral infections. When you buy a baby turtle, it might not show any signs of illness but if you were to add it into a tank with a turtle of a different species, you might infect that turtle. Some turtles have certain immunities that others don’t; that’s why you should avoid mixing species in the same habitat.
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Cracked Broken Shell

A cracked shell can be the result of an attack from a predator, an accidental fall due to a clumsy handler or some other type of trauma like a fight with another turtle (although a cracked shell is rare during a fight between two turtles). A cracked shell is a very serious problem. The crack can get worse, become infected and even lead to death. If your turtle has a cracked shell, you should immediately take it into the vet to have it treated. A veterinarian can give your hurt turtle some painkillers and place a cast onto the shell until it can heal. While your turtle is in a cast, you should keep it in a hospital tank to avoid any complication.
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Paralyzed Limbs

The cause of a paralyzed limbs is not easy to diagnose but it may be directly related to metabolic bone disease and abnormal growth of the shell and bones. This type of growth can put pressure on the spinal cord and paralyze the the turtles legs. If that isn’t the cause, it could due to a viral infection that effects the muscles or causes nerve damage. Other reasons might be due to arthritis, gout or a complication during pregnancy. In any case, you should bring your disabled turtle into the veterinarian to see what can be down to treat it. In certain cases, this condition is treatable and in others, it is permanent.
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Pregnancy Issues

Dystocia or Egg Binding is when a female turtle can deposit her eggs. The signs and symptoms of this can include the following: pacing, weak or disabled legs, constipation, fasting or a turtle that soaks often.

Sometimes a female won’t lay her eggs if she doesn’t have a suitable substrate to dig and deposit her eggs into. None the less, if you feel you turtle might have Dystocia, take it into the vet for an X-ray to see what the issue is. Your vet can treat the problem in several ways. One way is to induce egg laying by injecting the pregnant female with doses of calcium borogluconate and hormone oxytocin. If that doesn’t work, the vet can do surgery to remove the eggs through the plastron or cloaca.

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Drowning

If you just found your turtle drowned in its water or ever do, it might not be too late to try and revive it. Turtle can last a lot longer than most animal in instances of oxygen deprivation. What you can do to try and breathe life back into your turtle is to push its hind legs in an out while its head is tilted downwards. What this motion might do is force the water out of your turtle’s lungs and air in. You should perform this for about 15 minutes before giving up.

Avoid this situation in the first place by providing a swimming area that is at least one and half times deeper than your turtle is long (aquatic turtles). This will allow it to right itself and not get stuck upside down in the water if it happens to fall in upside down. In terms of a land species watering hole, make sure it has low banks with a subtle slope into the water. The turtle should be able to stand on its feet with its head safely out of the water.
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How to Take Care of a Turtle

Many Box turtles and tortoises eat much or the same types of things. However, not all of them eat protein and not all of them eat high fiber greens. While we provide a complete list of turtle foods including both greens and proteins, it doesn’t mean you should feed them all of these. Even if your turtle is purely a vegetarian, not every form of greens on the list is something you should feed them. For example, a Leopard tortoise should be fed grasses and hays that contain a high level of silica yet the Hingeback, Redfoot and Mediterranean breeds are not equipped to digest these types of grasses even though they too eat greens.   To help remove confusion, in this section we will cover what each type of turtle and tortoise should be fed.

Quick Tips on Feeding Turtles

Notes about Commercial Brand Foods

There are several prepackaged turtle foods available on the market but there are a few things you need to be aware of before you purchase one:

• The first ingredients should be protein
• Avoid brands that are mainly grain based
• Hydrate the chow slightly by adding in bits of fruits, greens or veggies
• The only supplement you will need is calcium
• Can lead to boredom or loss of appetite if other foods are not mixed into their diet

Feeding Tortoise Species

Similar to the various Box turtle breeds, the different types of tortoises don’t all have the same diets either. With the exception of strictly being a carnivore, there are tortoise breeds that are mainly vegetarian while others that are omnivores. It’s important to provide the correct diet for each individual tortoise breed. The biggest health risk to a captive tortoise is a mismanaged  diet plan; especially when it comes to a small juvenile one. One sign that a tortoise is not being fed properly is, the formation of pyramids on its scutes.

Note: While you might think a tortoise doesn’t need to drink a lot of water, it’s important to always provide your pet with a clean source of water. You should also allow them to soak in their water as they will greatly enjoy the dip while they drink up and also relieve themselves.

Mediterranean and Russian

This diet of the Mediterranean tortoise is the same as that of the Hermann’s, and Greek tortoise too. These breeds are herbaceous and only eat greens, succulents and flowers. The greens you feed them need to be very high in fiber so don’t completely rely on store bought produce since they lack the sufficient fiber. Fruits are okay but use them sparingly since too much can give them diarrhea. The best way for tortoises to feed is to allow them to forage and graze naturally but if that isn’t possible, here is a list of some items that they would enjoy:

See the list of plant that are toxic to tortoises

They should only get a tiny percentage of protein in their diet if any at all. Too much protein and their shell can become deformed, their liver can fail and their kidneys can fail because of impacted bladder stones. This means you should not only not feed them meat but also cat/dog food, beans or peas.

Their diet should also be calcium rich so providing them with a piece of cuttlebone is a good idea.

Tropical Tortoises

Photos by: anticiv, jurvetson, poornakedar

How to Take Care of a Turtle

Depending on what variety of aquatic turtle you have, you will need to provide them with the right type or diet that fits the needs of that breed. The list of foods that aquatic turtles eat in the wild include a variety of live fish, bugs and worms as well as a number of aquatic plants, mosses and other greens. Most turtles both aquatic and box are omnivores; meaning they eat both plants and animals; there are some exceptions though and the degree to how much protein vs greens they need varies as well.

Omnivore, Herbivore or Carnivore

Diet for Aquatic Turtles

Hatchling Turtle Food

Many hatchling turtles are often only the size of a nickel when they come out of their shells and that means they won’t be able to eat the same types of food a fully grown turtle will eat. You can purchase baby turtle food at pet stores that come in pellets, flakes or sticks. There’s also fish food available for betta fish like blood worms, brine shrimp or krill that a small enough for a hatchling to eat. As your hatchlings grow, you can slowly start feeding them larger and larger food items.

How to Feed Aquatic Turtles

Note: feed your aquatic turtles separately to avoid fights and injury. Some turtles have lost limbs during what is called a feeding frenzy. Do your best to not let that happen by following this rule.

How to Take Care of a Turtle

If you can’t house your aquatic turtles outdoors in a pond due to your local climate or that they are still small juveniles, you can keep them indoors in an aquarium. With that said, the best indoor habitat for your little pets is a custom built turtle table with a built in water feature. If you can manage to build one of these, your turtles will be better off.

The reason being, is that the glass fish tank makes it hard to create temperature variations. The glass of an aquarium will absorb, reflect and transfer the heat all throughout the tank  which can lead to a very warm living space. For those turtles that like to bask in warmer temperatures, it might be difficult to keep the basking temperatures from raising the temperatures of the rest of the living space to unhealthy levels.

However, you can prevent this by not placing a hood cover onto the tank. This helps circulate the air in the tank and allows some of the heat to escape. In addition, proper ventilation is an important part of keeping a turtle from getting sick. If it’s possible, you should try to find an aquarium that has lower walls and wider length and width dimensions than that of a traditional fish tank; often called breeder or long tanks. This too will help circulate more oxygen and regulate temperatures. See bellow for the minimum requirements of your tank.

Turtle Tank Size Requirements

Each aquatic turtle breed varies in the size it will reach at maturity and so each will require a different minimum size tank. The best solution is to always get a tank that is bigger than they need at the time you buy them. It can become expensive to have to upgrade your tank as they grow. If you buy a tank they can grow into, the cheaper it should be in the long run. If space is and issue, you should stick to turtle breeds that don’t grow large. The red eared slider can grow up to a foot but certain types of mud and musk turtles only grow to about 5 inches.

Lighting

If you keep your turtles indoors, you will need to supply them with supplemental lighting that contains ultra violet A and B light; the same as what the sun produces. This type of lighting is essential to a healthy turtles. It’s important to note that the lights that provide ultra violet light won’t work if the light has to go through a piece plastic or glass before it gets to the turtle.

There are several types of lights that you can use in combination with each other.  These lights should be on during daylight hours and off during the night. Setup your lights on a timer and set the on off cycle just as it is where your turtle originates from. One type of light you can use is an incandescent bulb and the other is a fluorescent bulb.

Incandescent vs Fluorescent Bulbs

The lights should you get will depend on the needs of your turtles. Not every aquatic turtle likes to bask and not everyone likes bright lights. If you don’t know what your pet likes, take a look at our section on turtle living requirements. If that section still doesn’t answer all your questions about the needs of your turtles, see our information on aquatic water turtles species or go off of what conditions your turtle would have in its natural habitat.  Tropical species for example, probably don’t like a lot of bright but do enjoy warming themselves in a basking area. This is why you might decide to use a combination of low level lights and different solution for providing heat.

Heating

Most houses, especially in the winter months don’t have an air temperature that your turtles will thrive in. This means you will need to supply them with a source of heat. An incandescent light won’t be sufficient enough since you will need to turn that off during the night time hours or you might not want to use one at all if your turtles don’t like the bright light. In these cases, you can use a ceramic infrared bulb.  these bulbs only produce heat and produce no light; perfect for night time hours. Get one with a ceramic socket so it lasts longer and hang it about 16-18 inches above the tank. don’t let it rest on any surfaces that could catch on fire.

Water Temp

Filtration

Clean water is vital to keeping your aquatic turtles healthy. They use their water as a drinking source, a place to cool off and as a bathroom. Turtles will dirty up their water fast if there is no filtration. Water parameters  that you need to be concerned with include: proper water temp, well oxygenated, neutral pH levels, low ammonia and nitrate levels and the absence of chlorine or other toxins in the water. Test kits are available to test for all of these factors and there are products that will help remove or adjust water parameter levels that are off.

There are several filter options to choose from and it really comes down to how much you want to spend and the available space you have. In tank filters that fish tank owners use are often cheaper than out of tank canister filters but can get beat up by your active turtles.  Whatever options you choose, you should consider getting a filter that has a mechanical and biological filter. A mechanical filter helps remove particle and waste in the water while a biological filter consists of beneficial bacteria that helps remove toxins from the water like ammonia.

Land Areas

Turtle Toppers

A great alternative to the options above is a turtle topper. It’s a addition that can be placed directly onto the top of an aquarium with a ramp that allows the turtles to climb up out of the water and into a basking area. By placing the basking area on top, you maximize the water area and increase your tank’s overall square footage. If you are handy you might be able to build your own topper but make sure you don’t use any materials that could hurt your turtle. Avoid using metal rung ladders or anything your turtle’s feet might get stuck in.

Substrate

Some people recommend not using any substrate on the bottom of their tanks since it makes it easier to maintain and this is perfectly fine but it doesn’t look nice. Why not add a layer of gravel, sand or silt to make your tank look more natural and resemble your turtle’s natural habitat. In terms of the out of water land area, you can use a loose mix of sand and soil, coconut fibers or ground bark from fir trees.

Photos by:tsakshaug, 8593364@N06, bradhoc

How to Take Care of a Turtle

If you don’t have the luxury of living in a warm climate year around or have a suitable yard to house your turtles or tortoises in an outdoor turtle pen, you will likely need to house them indoors permanently or for a few months over the winter. Many fully grown healthy turtles can be housed outdoors year around since they can hibernate during the cold months when temperatures drop into the 50s. Young juvenile or sick turtles and tortoises shouldn’t be left outside during cold days  or allowed to hibernate; especially if they tropical species or originally from warmer climates. Additionally, small turtles and sick turtles are more at risk of being killed by predators or illness. Therefore, it’s a good idea to setup a turtle habitat indoors where you can better control the temperature and humidity.

Turtle  and Tortoise Table Basics

For non aquatic species like box turtles and tortoises should never be housed in a glass vivarium or turtle aquarium. The glass walls of these tanks make it difficult to create a temperature variation needed to allow a turtle to thermoregulate.  The glass helps trap the heat inside the tank and raises the inside air temperature to unhealthy levels. The transparency of the glass walls can also stresses out your pets as they will continue to walk through them to get out. Finally, you should avoid using a glass vivarium because they usually have poor ventilation and lead to higher rates of respiratory problems, lumpy shells and accelerated unhealthy growth.

The best solution for housing your turtles indoors is a turtle table. These tables can be bought through manufactures, custom built from scratch using building materials or items found around the house can be converted into a table such as an old book case or a large plastic storage bin. The benefits of a custom built table can take into consideration the needs of your pet turtle. For one, the floor space can be maximized to allow your turtles to have enough room to get the exercise it needs to stay healthy and to give it some personal space (lower stress) if housed with multiple turtles. In addition to those health benefits, the open top of a turtle table will ensure your turtles and tortoises receive plenty of clean fresh air as well as allowing  any poor quality air to dissipate more freely.

What you Need to House a Turtle Indoors

How to Build a Turtle Table

The instruction for this table is intended for tortoises or turtles that prefer a dry environment. Additions can be added to this basic setup to provide an adequate home for box turtles, semi aquatic Asian species or tropical tortoises who require higher humidity and or a larger source of water.

Materials List

To build a table that is 4 x 8 feet (1.22 x 2.44 meters) and 18-24 inches high (46-61 cm) you will need  four boards of wood, a sheet of plywood, metal L brackets, aquarium sealant and a water proof finish. The boards should include two pieces that 8 feet long, 18-24 inches high and 1 inch thick; the other two boards should be 4 feet 2 inches long, 18-24 inches high and 1 inch thick. The plywood base should be a sturdy 8 x 4 feet sheet. The brackets should be the appropriate size to  properly secure the walls and the screws should not be too long that they run through the other side of the 1 inch thick boards or plywood base.

Steps by Step Instructions

1. Lay down the plywood sheet flat onto the surface you want to build the table on and then place the first 4′ 2″ up against the short side of the plywood so as to add the first wall. Don’t place the board onto the plywood but instead right up against the plywood. Make sure that each end of the wall sticks out past the plywood base by an inch.
2. A few inches from both ends of the inside of the first wall, add L brackets. One edge of the L bracket should be flat onto the plywood base and the other up against the inside of the 4′ 2″ wall board.
3. Do the same for the other short wall and then add the 8′ long walls. Work them in so they are butted up against the plywood base and up against the short walls so they flush with them.
4. Secure the long walls with L brackets and add extra ones in the middle of the 8 foot walls if needed.
5. Use a water proof, non toxic finish to paint the entire tortoise table, both inside and out.
6. Use an aquarium sealant to run a bead along the insides of where the walls connect with one another and where they are butter up against the plywood floor. These last two steps will completely seal the table and keep the moisture from rotting the wood.
7. Additionally, you can secure a post on both sides of the table with a board that runs from one to the other. Lighting and heat lamps can be hung from this overhead board. Make sure the lights and especially the heat lamps are about 16-18 inches away from the substrate (avoid fires and electrocution by using the proper lighting fixtures and wiring).

Semi aquatic Asian box turtles like the Malayan and Three Striped need a much larger watering hole. In fact, the water should take up about 50% of the entire turtle tank. You can build one of these by getting a pond liner or a plastic bin about 4 feet by 3 feet and 10 inches high. Line the entire table with a water proof liner and seal it with an aquarium sealant. Then you can add the tub for your make shift pond. Fill the land area with a few inches of rock or charcoal and then about 6 inches of a sandy topsoil. In the pond place an inch of gravel on the bottom and some larger flat  rocks  to be used as a ramp for your turtles to crawl in and out of the pond. Make sure the rocks are secure and won’t accidentally trap your turtles. The water will get dirty fast so you will need an external box filter and heater to keep the water in the high 70s.

How to Take Care of a Turtle

An outdoor garden pond can be the best way to house aquatic pond turtles year around given your turtles species can adapt to your geographical region. It’s said that if you live in a a hardiness zone bellow 7 you should bring your turtles in over the winter months and house them in an indoor turtle tank. With that said, there are many turtle breeds that are hardy enough to survive a winter with freezing cold temperatures. The best bet is to only buy pond turtles that are native to your region but the following is a list of aquatic turtles that can adapt and live in a range of temperatures:

• Red Eared Sliders
• Painted
• Map
• Musk
• Mud
• Snapping

Planning Your Pond

Location: Place your pond in an area that gets lots of mid day sunshine and in an area that allows you to build an adequately sized pond for the amount of turtles you have. Avoid placing it next to any trees that will drop leaves into the water. These leaves will add to the bio-load and end up rotting on the bottom. Rotting leaves can add extra nitrates into the water and is a cause for lowered pH and elevated ammonia levels which can kill animal life. Excessive sun is a cause for algae but by providing plenty of live aquatic plants can help use up the nitrates need for algae blooms.

Size: Obviously the amount of space you have available will play a large roll in how big your pond is but so is your budget and the amount of time you want to spend with upkeep. An expansive turtle pond really sounds great but in all reality it can be expensive and require many hours of upkeep. Some turtle owners opt for a smaller pond and some build one the size of a kiddie pool. These smaller ponds are more economical and easier to care for which is a plus but you also need to take into consideration how large your turtles are. If they are young and not yet fully grown, a smaller pond is a great solution  but if they are large, you should strongly consider building a larger pond habitat; especially if you want to keep them outside year around.

Security: No matter what size of pond you have you need to think about the security of your pet turtles. You will need to build a fence or a wall to keep the turtles from wandering off and to keep predators from getting in and attacking them. If your pond is small and shallow, you might want to think about putting a wire mesh cover over the top of the pond. larger ponds usually give the turtles more protection since many predators won’t be able to catch a turtle that dives into deeper waters or that is basking out in the middle of the pond on an island or a partially submerged log.

How to Build a Turtle Pond

1. Map out and dig your pond. Use a level to make sure all the sides of the pond are even so the water doesn’t flow out any low sides. Dig down to varying levels of depths to create shelves for your turtles and aquatic plants. Or if you decide to use a preformed hard plastic pond, excavate the hole for the pond slowly until it fits just right. A preformed pond is certainly easier than using a rubber liner but limits your pond size and depth.
2. If you plan to add filtration or a skimmer, dig out the holes needed to house them and install the plumbing. Consult a pond professional to help you choose the best equipment and proper installation.
3. Once you are happy with your pond size and shape, first place a pond underlayment fabric to help protect the rubber pond liner from sharp rocks or burrowing animals. Then add the rubber pond liner. Avoid excessive folds and wrinkles but some will be unavoidable.
4. Fill the pond with your garden hose and add a dechlorinator to remove any chlorine from the water. The weight of the water will keep the liner flat and secured to the bottom of the pond.
5. If you plan on adding external water features like a waterfall, this is the time to set them up. Again, consult a professional or read the instructions on how to setup the feature you have.
6. Cover the edges of the pond liner with rocks. the liner should be elevated above the water level so spillage doesn’t erode the surrounding earth. There are several ways to make your pond edge look more natural and many involve using pond plants and pebbles or small rocks. A subtle shallow shelf  with a lip to help keep the rocks from falling into the pond works best
7.  Use aquatic plant baskets to plant marginals around the edges of the pond. Place them on the shelves that you built. Secure them into place by using heavy sturdy rocks. Some good options for pond plants include water irises, lily pads, water hyacinth, anacharis or dwarf versions of cattails, rush or papyrus. Your turtles might snack on your plants so to avoid them from being completely destroyed, provide enough of them so the damage is spread out and allowing them to recover.
8. Add a semi submerged log or two (real or prefabricated) or a floating island that can be used to grow plants and a place for your turtles to bask on.
9. Add your pond turtles and any fish you have. Consider using goldfish or minnows since they don’t require warm water temperatures to survive. (Learn more about goldfish care.
10. Build a fence several feet back from around the perimeter of the pond to keep predators and small children out  yet allow the turtles to walk around without being able to wander off. The bottom of the fence should be dug down about ten inches and should have a solid base so your turtles can’t tunnel out or get stuck in.

Hibernating Pond Turtles

The reason many pond turtles can survive freezing cold winters is because at around 50*f (10*c) turtles go into a state of hibernation or brumation. As the temperatures drop into the 60′s (15*c) pond turtles will begin to eat less and eventually stop eating all together. When it drops to 50*f, the turtles will either lay on the bottom of their pond and hibernate. Some breeds like the mud and musk turtles will choose to dig into the mud while breeds like the red eared slider will just lay on the bottom.

Hibernating occurs naturally in the wild so it can be assumed that it is healthier for your pond turtles to hibernate as well. However proper turtle care involves only hibernate healthy turtles. Additionally, juveniles due to their size don’t tend to handle cold temperatures as well as fully grown turtles (See Related: Hibernate Box Turtles and Tortoises).

Photos By: xfer, 89746220@N00

How to Take Care of a Turtle

The best option for housing  any turtle or tortoise is a habitat outdoors if it’s at all possible. For starters, even the best artificial lights on the market can not match the benefits that natural sunlight has for a turtle or tortoise. UV rays assist in the production of vitamin D3 which is necessary for absorption of calcium. Calcium  or course helps keep bones strong and healthy; a deficiency can lead to bone disease and unhealthy stunted growth.

Secondly, by deciding to house your turtles outdoors, you more often than not will be able to  build a larger pen or enclosure than what you could indoors. You might not have  a spare room to dedicate an appropriately sized turtle table or tank for one of the medium to larger turtle or tortoise species but you might have a backyard or a patio. Remember the larger your turtle’s pen, the more it resembles its natural habitat, which is better no matter how large or small your turtle is.

If you live in a region with a temperate climate with warm to hot summers and mild winters, you can probably house your pet turtles in an outdoor pen year around. (See turtle species temperature requirements). Even if your winters are too cold to house your turtles outside in a pen year around, you should consider setting one up for when the night-time temperatures are in the 60s or above.

You can also build a pen that has a green house or heated house like structure to allow your turtles to go inside to bask and stay warm when the temps are too cool for their liking. By building a box with a transparent plastic roof,  it allows the short infrared wave rays from the sun to pass through but traps them inside as they are converted into long wave infrared rays. Even when the days are cooler, if the sun is out, it can heat up the enclosure 18*f (10*c) warmer than the temperature outside. This helps the turtles thermoregulate and allows them to come and go as they please.

At minimum for good turtle care, get your turtles outside for a few hours a day to catch some rays, fresh air and to get some exercise.

How Many Turtles Per Pen

You want to do your best to avoid overcrowding in any turtle pen. When you have too many turtles within any given living space, it often leads to more waste in that space and overall poor hygiene of all the inhabitants. The rule of thumb to follow when housing multiple turtles include:

• Box Turtle Pen Size: One or two box turtles per 12 square feet (1.1 square meters).

• Tortoise Pen Size: Tortoises should get 3 square feet per every inch of shell (.25 square meters).

Young tortoises that are 4 to six inches long (10-15cm) can live in a pen that is 4 x 3 ft (1.2 x .9 meters) but some fully grown tortoises will need double that or more.

Mixing of the Sexes

In addition to the guidelines on how much space is needed you should think about your male to female ratio. If you don’t want your turtles to breed, you should probably stick to only female turtles. Females tend to get along better with one another than that of their male counterparts. Males are known to be more aggressive towards other males and are often girl crazy as you can observe them chasing the females in their pen. Those being chase constantly can become stressed out and lead to sickness. To keep this from happening, stick to this rule of thumb:

• Male to Female Ratio: Keep only one male per four female turtles or tortoises in any given pen (1:4 male/female)

If you house multiple males, make sure their habitat is large and has multiple spaces to get away from each other. A completely open layout is not ideal. Additionally you shouldn’t mix different turtle species (See housing multiple tortoises for more info).

How to Build a Turtle Pen

Building a pen to house your new pets gives you a chance to get creative  since there is no right or wrong way to build one. As long as you follow the few guidelines, the sky is the limit on how elaborate you decide to make it . The follow are a few guidelines to help you build your turtle pen.

Security from Predators

While an outdoor turtle pen is the best option for housing a your pets, they do come with some disadvantages. The biggest being the threat from predators. There is a long list of predators that include coyotes, opossums, raccoons, large birds and several other wild animals but the biggest threat might come from your very own household pet, your dog. There have been numerous cases of a family dog that got along with the family’s pet turtle for years only to have the owners come home to find their pet turtle seriously injured by that same dog. You should never fully trust your dog to to behave around your pet turtle so never leave the two together while you are not around to monitor your dogs every move.

When you house your turtles and tortoises outdoors, you need to either add a top to your pen or build an over night secured pen. The later is the most practical option if you have a large  expansive pen. The top should be sturdy and have a latch. A lock is often a good idea since sometimes humans can be one of the predators. Most people use a strong wire mesh lid made out of chain link fence or heavy duty chicken wire materials.

Dealing with Pests and Insects

Turtles and tortoise often like to eat insects that wander into their pen but there are a few insects and pests that can cause harm to them. Fire ants can be deadly to turtles. If a fire ant mound is in the turtle’s pen, you need to be careful when eradicating it. don’t spray or place poison directly on any surface in the pen. It’s better to use a bait trap that allows the ants to go into a trap to get the poisoned food and bring it back to their mounds where all the other ants will feed off of it and die (temporarily remove your turtles from the pen).  Small mounds can be destroyed using boiling water (See Turtle Health Problems for more info on dealing with pest).

Toxic Plants to Avoid

Here is a list of poisonous plants that if eaten can cause serious health problems for your turtles or tortoises. Some of your turtles will avoid these toxic plants by instinct but others will not know any better. The point is, you can never to careful and you should avoid placing any of the following plants into your turtle pen enclosure.

Photos by: pwmeek, sparklykate, 33037982@N04 goosmurf

How to Take Care of a Turtle