A pet turtle is an easy-going and low maintenance pet relative to other types of pets that are available from a local pet store. However, just because a pet turtle may not need daily walks, they do have certain requirements that you don't want to neglect. Here are some recommendations to get and take the best care of your pet turtle.
Find the Right Enclosure
Your pet turtle is going to need a place to be kept safe and to also create its natural habitat for it to live within. And although you can't keep your pet turtle out in nature, you can bring nature and its most comfortable environment right to its enclosure. A plastic terrarium can give your turtle a controlled climate environment for it to remain at its appropriate temperature.
The terrarium should also provide enough space for your turtle to move around and for you to provide it different elements inside their terrarium home. For example, you will need some water for it to drink and cool off in, some gravel to mimic their natural outdoor environment, and a place for them to hide. If your terrarium is not large enough to house a cover material, such as a hollow log they can fit under, or some shrubbery to cover them. Turtles have a natural tendency to protect themselves from predators by hiding, and your plastic terrarium needs to be able to allow this.
If your terrarium has a top opening with a cover you can either remove or close up, be sure the sides are high enough to prevent your turtle from escaping. The edges of the top opening can have an overhang to help prevent your turtle from climbing the sides when you are not looking.
Terrarium Accessories
Inside your home you keep it at a constant temperature, but you should provide your turtle a heat lamp inside the terrarium. Place the heat lamp on one side of the enclosure so your turtle can move away from the heat if they need to regulate their body temperature. Your heat lamp should have a thermostat to keep it at an even temperature of 70 to 80 degrees F and a warm spot for your turtle to bask with a temperature range of 85 to 95 degrees F.
Your terrarium needs to have a water source for your turtle to swim in that is shallow but enough to help them cool off or re-hydrate themselves if they need it. Keep the water source clean by changing out the water often and clean out the interior of the basin.
