How to take care of a turtle? (Please be detailed)?

Question

Hey wussup?My cousin is going to be getting a turtle and she knows NOTHING on how to care for it. (Were going to pick it out together so she asked me to ask it on yahoo answers) Anyways, the things i really want to know are:
Where are some stores in Lombard, Illinois that carry turtles? What are the main different kinds of turtles?(Can you describe each one individually for me please, by size and personality) What kind of turtle do you recomend?Why? My cousin really wants a puny one, so what's the smallest type there is? How do you set the tank up? What kind of food do i get? Should she get a boy or girl? How much food should i give him/her? How often do you clean the tank? How do you even clean the tank? Do you buy a glass tank? How big should the tank be? Do any of them bite?Do they grow really big? What's the smallest one there is?

Share any experience you had with turtles, and any other things i would probably want to know about them. All comments are appriciated.Thanks!

Answer 1

turtles belong outside ,when i was growing up i use to bring mud turtles and snapping turtles home my dad made a pond for them in our back yard .my suggestion is put it back in the wild ,there very hard to take care of as pets,i love turtles but as i found out try to kept them as a pet they usually kick the bucket .nnot to many vets check turtles..

Answer 2

There's no way anyone would be able to give you the type of detailed answer you want without specifying a particular species of turtle. There are far too many species available, and each has its own requirements.

Some things your friend should consider are:

Does she want a semi-aquatic turtle (one that needs both land and water areas - meaning a larger living space, filtration, and water changes will be needed) or something terrestrial (box turtle or tortoise)?

What will the eventual adult size be? Turtles may only be about 4 inches when you buy them, but consider that red-eared sliders can get 14-16 inches long and will need lots of space. Tortoises range from from about 8 inches to a few feet.

What does it need for its food? Semi-aquatic turtles can eat pellets (easy), but young ones may also like small fish or worms as treats and to vary their diet (Is your friend squeamish?). Tortoises eat mainly plant matter, but should have a high percentage of thier diet as dry food (hay) rather than moist (fresh veggies and fruit - these should only be "treats"). Consider the cost and source of where the food will come from. Also needed will be some type of enclosure (this can range from an aquarium or kid's plastic wading pool to a cement block "corral"), lighting, heating, hide, etc.

Considering a turtle/tortoise can live for 25-80 years, buying one shouldn't be done without a lot of careful planning. Too many people buy one, then get tired of it after a few years, or it "outgrows" the space they they had available. What will happen to it when she goes away to college? Gets married and has kids of her own?

Here are some websites you friend can look at to research turtles/tortoises BEFORE deciding to get one (and which type may be best for her):

http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/
http://www.chelonia.org/
http://www.redearslider.com/

Answer 3

The eating ordinary relies upon at this form of turtle. working occasion, River Cooters consume a eating ordinary many times composed of flowers, on an identical time as Map Turtles want animal count extensive form. American field Turtles are omnivores who consume particularly each and every and each thing. The Malayan field Turtle might desire to consume multiple flowers with basically particularly of of animal count extensive form, besides the undeniable fact that the chinese language 3-Striped field Turtle eats "meats" basically approximately thoroughly. The pink-eared slider starts off out lifestyles eating many situations bugs, worms and distinctive invertebrates, yet will become greater omnivorous because of the fact it matures. in many circumstances, as properly the easy actuality that, all of it comes all the way all the way down to form. in case you feed basically cantaloupe and crickets, there will be problems down the line. there is not any longer something incorrect with those foodstuff. they are basically inadequate. in case you feed a great style of foodstuff, the occasional use of cabbage, lettuce, or maybe cooked pink meat heart won't reason problems. greater, feeding some foodstuff that are low calcium foodstuff, or extreme in phosphorous or oxalates, will count extensive form in no way if a separate source of calcium (cuttlebones/ plasterblocks/ eggshells/ crushed oystershell) is generally available. it is greater in step with the way turtles feed in the wild as properly. on an identical time as some keepers carefully evaluate the calcium/phosphorus ratio, turtles do no longer waste a good 2d questioning the chemical analysis of their foodstuff. If that's tasty and that's there, they're going to consume it! Later, they're going to munch some carrion bones or birds' eggshells and get caught up on calcium. it may desire to be impossible for us to truly "think of of like a turtle" yet we are able to a minimum of attempt. Turtles fed a great style of foodstuff are happier and much less likely to augment risky foodstuff fetishes.