Just watching them swim and move around in their habitat can be calming and help relieve stress. Kids can learn about patience and gentleness when caring for a turtle, too.
There are quite a few different types of turtles available on the market to take home as pets. But which are the most suitable for a human home life? We have put together a list of the 8 best turtles to help make the job of choosing a perfect pet easier.
Because the Red-Eared Slider is extremely popular, so they are widely available and easy to acquire as pets. These turtles are beautiful, social, friendly, and typically active throughout the day. They love swimming, yet they are usually housed inside to protect them from the elements. But with warm weather and proper surroundings, they can live outside in the yard. Indoor housing should include UV lighting for warmth , plenty of space to bask, and a source of water to spend time in.
These turtles are unique in that they cannot retract their heads completely into their shells like most turtles can.
They require a large amount of clean water to swim in. They love to eat lettuce, shaved carrots, and other produce , which is a healthy and affordable snack that they can enjoy every day. These cute turtles love of, but their small stature means that a little space to us is a large amount of space to them.
The Eastern Box Turtle requires a humid environment for good respiratory health, so their space should be kept warm a nd their shelter should include a large body of water. When they are young, juveniles will spend most of their time in the water.
They only come out to bask. This can make creating a suitable habitat tricky! You need to find a good balance between land and water. To prevent this, keep the water shallow enough for this pet turtle species to reach the surface while standing up. Unfortunately, Caspian turtles are a rare commodity these days in the pet trade. At one time, they were regularly imported from Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
But declining wild populations have put a stop to that. You can still find Caspian turtles for sale. Several dedicated breeders are keeping these guys accessible to herp-lovers! But before you adopt one, you need to make sure you have a large enough enclosure. This type of pet turtle reaches lengths of about 10 inches when fully grown. They require a large habitat to stay happy.
You could keep them indoors in a standard aquarium. However, they fare much better in an outdoor pond. They need as much swimming space as they can get! Not only are they powerful swimmers, but they also have a penchant for diving deep.
Caspian turtles have a reputation for being quite personable making them very good pets. They can identify caretakers and may start to beg for a treat when they see you! This active pet turtle species has captivated the hearts of reptile-lovers the world over. Yellow-bellied sliders are one of the more popular species in the trade.
Despite their larger size and somewhat demanding needs, people love them! Appropriately named for the bright yellow color of the plastron, these turtles are quite beautiful, too. The shell is relatively muted, featuring colors of dark olive green and black.
However, the skin is a bit more vibrant. These guys have thick bands of yellow all over the head and arms. On the head, the striped meet at the pointy snout. Yellow-bellied sliders need a precisely controlled tank to stay healthy.
They prefer temperatures between 90 and degrees in the basking spot. Not only that, but you need to establish a routine lighting schedule. Next up, we have the Central American wood turtle. This species is similar to the wood turtle we went over earlier. However, these guys come from hot and humid environments and spend far less time in the water. Having a swimming area is still important. In the wild, Central American wood turtles spend a lot of time on land. They stick close to the water, but they are land-rovers through and through.
Focus your attention on creating the best land-based environment possible! The best course of action is to recreate the river shores of the rainforests these turtles inhabit in the wild. That means creating a humid and wet environment. You can use an absorbent substrate material like coconut coir or cypress mulch. Regular mistings paired with the swimming area should keep the humidity levels above 75 percent at all times. Place a couple of hiding boxes around the enclosure for comfort and create an appropriate temperature gradient for thermoregulation.
The basking hotspot should be the warmest area of all, reaching temperatures around 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The three-toed box turtle is not a species for novices by any means.
It has some behavioral quirks and demanding care requirements that could be overwhelming for first-time pet turtle owners. That said, experienced herpetology enthusiasts can find a lot of joy in caring for these creatures. For one, they are beautiful and have a unique appearance that makes it stand out. But the high-domed carapace features rich neutral tones and a beautiful spotted pattern.
Complementing the shell is eye-catching skin coloration. The skin has a base color of brown. But, many turtles have red and orange spots that adorn the head and legs. For general inquiries, please use our contact form. For general feedback, use the public comments section below please adhere to guidelines. Your feedback is important to us. However, we do not guarantee individual replies due to the high volume of messages. Your email address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the email.
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By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Home Biology Ecology. June 5, Turtles may seem like the perfect low-maintenance pet—less work than dogs and cats and more interactive than fish.
And they can make wonderful pets. But experts say you should know what you're getting into first and how much work will be involved. Explore further. This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Softshells are shy and skittish due to having less protection from their soft shell. This turtle is considered to be threatened in the wild, but fortunately there are many captive-bred.
Spiny Softshells have a soft, flat shell and pointed nose. They are brown or green and have small spines lining part of their shell. This spiny reptile prefers open waters and sandy resting places. They spend their days basking and foraging for food.
A responsible beginner can care for this breed but they do have specific care requirements and are known to be shy. These little guys measure just five inches. They are usually black or dark brown with yellow-cream colored spots on their head and shell. Some have yellow, orange or red on their bellies too.
They usually adjust well to captivity but are not strong swimmers and should be kept in a tank with shallow waters. They are not as unique as many pet turtles types in this list, but they are low-maintenance and hardy.
Yellow Muds typically have yellow to light brown shells and bellies. Their cheeks and chin are a brighter shade of yellow than their shell. These turtles are found in freshwater habitats in the midwestern United States. Yellow Muds are hardy and tolerant of many climates. If water starts to dry up, they bury themselves beneath the mud.
What makes this animal easy to care for is its diet. It will eat food e. Appropriately named they have three light tan to cream colored stripes that run along the length of their shell. These stripes can be more difficult to see on some species.
Striped Mud turtles are found in the southeastern United States from Virginia down to the tip of Florida. Similar to the Yellow Mud 20 this small turtle is just five inches and likes to swim.
Interestingly when they were first discovered it was thought they were only aquatic. It was later discovered they come up on land only occasionally. They should have a gallon tank with plenty of water to swim around in. Their shells are normally dark gray or black and have a rocky appearance.
Their skin is usually light blue-gray in color with black spots. They are often found in reedy marshes, lagoons and channels along the east coast of the United States.
What makes them unusual is that they live in saltwater but need fresh water to drink. In the wild this species is timid but captive animals can be quite social after they adjust to their new environment. They should live in gallon tanks, but their water does not need to be heated like many types of turtles. They live in slow-moving water with lots of vegetation and often have brown shells and brown-green skin.
Owners love them for their charming personalities and small size. These aquatic animals are very active so live best in gallon tanks with water depths that are 1. Ornate Wood Turtles are more terrestrial than most on this list!
They are normally found in wooded areas close to streams or ponds. They have thin red lines on their face and parts of their shell.
The rest of their shell is light brown with a center ridge. Their bellies are often yellow with patches of red. It is important that they are purchased from a captive breeder.
When taken from the wild they have a hard time adjusting and normally die within one year. Not much is known about the history of the Razorback Musk other than they were found in the southeastern United States. Beginners love these turtles because they are small, unique and easy to care for.
They do not grow larger than six inches but are the largest of their type i. They are not aggressive or likely to bite you but they are shy so they should not be handled frequently. They will be less afraid if you watch them from afar. They can be found along the east coast to Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. Common Musks are smaller than the Razorback Musk 15 and similar in size to the Loggerhead Herpetologists love to keep this turtle because of their small size and ease of care.
Their shells are typically brown or black and very rounded. They have barbels on their chin and neck — this is unique to this subspecies. They like shallow bodies of water where they can soak and occasionally come out to bask. Because of this they require lots of water in a gallon tank and basking area. This animal is also known as the Stinkpot because of the musky smell they emit to keep away predators.
They are commonly found in bodies of freshwater throughout Africa and Madagascar. Like all sideneck species they are unique for having the ability to turn their heads sideways.
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