The dry turtle – How do we feel at home?

People looking for a pet that do not take hours of walks, a lot of time and maintenance work, often decide to buy a turtle. At first glance, these animals do not seem pretentious, but in daily practice, many errors in the care of these silent creatures meet. Before buying a turtle, we should read the basic rules that will allow our animal to stay healthy for many years earlier.

How to prepare the ground correctly for the turtle?

The gradual and Greek turtles are the most common turtles species. In both cases, we can prepare their land to live in the garden or at home. In the event that we growing it outdoors, we can create conditions closer to the natural ones. In our climatic conditions, it is optimal to let the turtle live outside the end of spring to the beginning of autumn, while the rest of the time is better to protect the turtle in the house and create wintering conditions. In the case of external life, we can shape the ground for the turtle, so that it can train its muscles, for example, climbing small hills or digging into the ground (the ground should not be clay, to allow excavation and avoid excessive humidity). However, you have to make sure that the turtle has a place to hide and not be exposed to the predators’ attacks and that the fence is sufficiently in the ground, so that the turtle cannot dig under it. If we cannot give our pet an outdoor farmer, we should organize a terrarium sufficiently large at home. The substrate in it must preferably be a mixture of soil (preferably without fertilizers and spray residues) and sand, better with the addition of the lawn. This substrate will allow the turtle to dig as in the natural environment and is safer than commercial substrates, for example, made with conifers. The terrarium should be placed a source of UVB radiation and the radiator should be set so that the temperature lower than it did not exceed 35 ° C, and in the other parts of the terrarium the temperature is maintained in the interval 20 ° -30 ° C. It is also important to control the humidity in the terrarium, which should be adapted to the preferences of the turtle species. You should be particularly attentive when moving the animal to the terrarium, because exposure to air currents can cause pneumonia and, unfortunately, the ironing is quite frequently.

What do we nourish the turtles?

The most common errors made by the masters of Tartaruga are linked to their diet. In my practice, I have already met cases of power supply of the Greek turtle with cheesecake or a 99% diet based on carrots. Unfortunately, an unequivocal diet ends sooner or later with serious disorders caused by the lack of vitamins and minerals. Food administered to turtles should be as varied as possible. It is very important to feed it with field plants, for example clover, lion tooth, square, daisies, alfalfa, flyer, strawberries and blackberries. They contain fibers, which are very important for the appropriate digestive processes, as well as for football and phosphorus, necessary for the correct functioning. In winter, when the availability of herbs is limited, the base of nutrition should be dry plants in advance. As a supplement and variety of diets, you can offer it ripe fruit and vegetables: carrots, pumpkin, watermelon, cucumbers, pumpkin, apples, strawberries or tomatoes. As a source of calcium and minerals, it is worth providing access to a sexy shell and if the turtle cannot stand it alone, it should be crushed and sprinkled with food. When choosing food for your pet, you should avoid the plants rich in oxalates (e.g. spinach and caves), since their administration can display the turtle with kidney stones. The basic nutritional error is excessive food with the salad, which should not be almost present in the turtle diet. Furthermore, we should not remember to feed the turtle with meat, dairy products -caseari, eggs or dedicated food, for example dogs.

Hybernation of the turtle – What is it?

A topic that raises many questions is the hibernation of turtles. It is a physiological process in natural conditions, but at home not all turtles must «winter» and, in some cases, it is not even a medical recommended. If we intend to reproduce our turtles, we should decide to hibernate future parents. You should certainly not hibernate the sick animal or immediately after illness. Before starting preparations for the winter, it is worth a visit to the veterinarian who will deceive the animal and evaluate his health. Before deciding to make this step, it is worth familiar with the rules of adequate turtles, because if made incorrectly, it can lead to serious diseases and, in extreme or even death cases. It is important that the digestive system of the turtle is completely emptied of the food content before falling asleep. The hibernation can be done in a cellar or in the fresh refrigerator (the temperature should be in 4th -6 ° C). In the case of the basement, a significant advantage is the greatest humidity, which promotes the period of sleep. In the case of the refrigerator, it is necessary to insert a water container. The turtle should be placed in a box of holes and its bottom is better to fill it with muscles (plant) or leaves. During this period, the weight of the animal, as well as the temperature and humidity of the environment, must be systematically monitored (the increase in the mold in the turtle cannot be allowed). If the weight loss exceeds 10% of the original weight, it is necessary to immediately awaken the turtle. These are only the general rules for lethargy.

When taking care of a turtle, it is also necessary to consider assistance procedures, such as cutting the claws and periodic control of the shape of the eyes and beak, in order to quickly start the treatment in case of disorders. The adequate care of such an exotic pet is not always easy, as it seems, but it can bring a lot of satisfaction.

The texts on the blog are not medical advice and do not replace the visit to the vet.

Dorota jóskowiak