How To Keep a Turtle as a Pet

Turtles can make great pets for both children and adults. They are fairly low maintenance, and can be cared for rather easily. This makes them an inexpensive pets and an enjoyable one. To keep your turtle happy, healthy and ensure many years of fun with your turtle, it is important to provide proper shelter, food, water and care.

• Purchase a large plastic container or 10 gallon aquarium. This will be the home for your turtle.


• Add water to the turtle's home. Some turtles prefer to live under the water. These types of turtles will need to have their home filled with a large amount of water. Other turtles will only need a small amount of water in there home. Filling a small bowl with water and placing it inside the turtle's home may be a better option for these types of turtles.


• Give your turtle a place to get out of the water. This is especially important to turtles that live under the water. Even though they will stay in the water most of the time, they will still need a platform to crawl onto to rest. Floating turtle platforms can be purchased from most pet supply stores.


• Add rocks, pebbles and plants to your turtle's home. It is extremely important to research the environment of your specific species of turtle. All turtles are different and require different types of environments. Only add plants that are you sure will not hard your pet turtle.


• Place food and water bowls in the aquarium. Keep these bowls in the same area of the container at all times. This will make it easy for the turtle to find his food and water when he needs it.


• Place the turtle and his home near a window or other source of natural light. It is important for a turtle to feel at home in his new place, and natural light will make this process easier. It will also help keep your turtle on a schedule and make him healthier.


• Provide an appropriate food sources for your turtle. Some turtles eat insects and small fish and others eat plants and vegetables. Research the eating habits of your turtle to find out what types of food it needs to stay healthy.