The turtle is the most suitable pet for those who are attracted by calm and unhurried creatures. But their content has its own subtleties. For example, both an amphibian and a land turtle need to create comfortable conditions for keeping, since they cannot walk with a person around the apartment, like a cat or a dog. What is required to keep a domestic turtle?
It is necessary
- For the red-eared turtle:
- - an aquarium;
- - incandescent lamp;
- - soil (fine gravel or coarse sand);
- - one or two thermometers;
- - filter for water purification;
- - water heater;
- - an island of sushi for relaxation.
- For the Central Asian tortoise:
- - aviary or terrarium;
- - soil (sand with peat);
- - thermometer;
- - incandescent lamp;
- - a container with water.
Instructions
Step 1
The most common species of turtles are red-eared and Central Asian. The first of them is a freshwater inhabitant, the second is a land one. Representatives of both of these species can be kept in the same apartment, but the conditions of their detention are quite different.
Step 2
If you are planning to host a red-eared turtle, you will need an aquarium with a volume of 100-150 liters per individual. It is better to choose a container made of silicate glass, since scratches from turtle claws will be too noticeable on the surface of the organic glass aquarium. Clean coarse sand or fine gravel is suitable as a soil.
Step 3
Red-eared turtles spend most of their time in the water, but islands of land are vital for them to rest. The islet should be large enough, about a quarter of the total area of the aquarium. In order for the turtle to comfortably rise from the water to land, a gradually rising slope with an uneven surface is especially good, to which your pet can cling to its claws. A similar island can be purchased at a pet store.
Step 4
An incandescent lamp should be installed over the island so that the turtle that comes out of the water can warm up. Plants should not be planted in the aquarium where the red-eared turtle lives, since they will not stay there for a long time anyway - your pet will eat them. Therefore, it is better to use large stones and driftwood to decorate the aquarium. The turtle will not eat artificial plants (although it will certainly try), but it can dig them up.
Step 5
The water temperature in the red-eared turtle aquarium should be 25-30 ° C. To keep the temperature at the correct level, you need an aquarium heater and thermostat. It is also recommended to purchase two thermometers - one to monitor the outside temperature, the other to monitor the water temperature. A water filter should also be installed in the aquarium, as food for red-eared turtles is a perishable species.
Step 6
There is no need to pour water into an aquarium, or rather a terrarium, for a Central Asian turtle. It will be enough for such a turtle to have a container of water in free access, in which it can, if desired, lie down, like in a bath. The widespread belief that a land turtle can live by crawling throughout an apartment is fundamentally wrong. Such a turtle needs soil that it can dig, obeying its natural needs, as well as a lamp under which it can bask. There is a great risk that a turtle walking around the apartment will be accidentally stepped on. Drafts, which can provoke a cold, are also dangerous. Therefore, it is better to opt for a fairly spacious enclosure where the turtle will be at rest and safety. Sand mixed with peat is suitable as a soil for it. Make sure that the temperature under the lamp is about + 25-28C.
