Aquatic Pet Turtles

Aquatic pet turtles are pleasing and entertaining pets. These water pet turtles are very difficult to maintain and care for. The freshwater pet turtles require intensive labor more than any other pet reptile. There are many species of turtle like the sea turtles, land turtles and freshwater aquatic turtles. In this article we will learn more about the freshwater pet turtles.

Popular Aquatic Pet Turtles
As mentioned earlier there are different kinds of turtles. The following aquatic pet turtles are the most popular ones in North America.

• Slider Turtle: These are the commonly kept water pet turtles commonly known as the Red-Eared Slider turtle. The related species like Cooters and Chicken Turtles are also kept as pet and can live till a ripe old age. These freshwater pet turtles although very tame, they can bite. The males get aggressive with other male turtles during the mating season. The young sliders are carnivorous and as they grow they prefer more herbivorous foods. The Red-Eared Slider grows up to 12 inches long and need larger tanks or outdoor ponds to live.
  
  
• Mud Turtles: These turtles live in soft-bottom ponds and pools. They burrow into the mud and hibernate. These water pet turtles prefer more land and shallow water to grow. Many mud turtles are carnivorous, therefore do enough research before picking one as a pet.
  
  
• Reeves Turtle: These freshwater pet turtles are small in size and can grow up to 5 to 8 inches. They are found in China, Japan and South Korea. These turtles are easily identified by the three pronounced ridges down its brown back and a yellow plastron with brown spots. These aquatic pet turtles are prone to shell infections. Thus, keep them in clean water with plenty of UV light for your pet's health. These are carnivorous pets, but will eat turtle pellets. Also, as the wild species of this aquatic pet turtle is on the endangered species list, therefore avoid buying them from unknown sources.
  
  
• Soft-shell Turtles: These aquatic pet turtle species are found all over the world except Australia and Antarctica. They live only in water and can grow very large. They therefore require large tanks or outdoor pools. These carnivorous aquatic pet turtles can bite and they bury under the sand to wait for pray. These are not easy pets and do not get very tame.
  
  
• Painted Turtle: These American aquatic pet turtles are found across Canada, Georgia and Louisiana in America. Painted turtles grow up to seven inches long. These water pet turtles have yellow stripes on their head and red and yellow stripes on the neck. These active omnivores are messy creatures and their tanks have to be cleaned regularly. These tame creatures eat from your hand.

Turtles as Pets
Aquatic pet turtles are not meant for children. Children cannot provide optimum care for pet turtles. These water pet turtles many times are carriers of Salmonella that can infect children. Aquatic pet turtles need their habitat to be cleaned regularly and therefore children often lose interest in maintaining proper care for these freshwater pet turtles.

Turtle Homes
Aquatic pet turtles require homes or enclosures that have regular UV light exposure. The aquatic pet turtles suffer from soft shell syndrome if the UV light is not provided. These aquatic pet turtles require high quality good filtration unit to maintain the quality of water and keep it clean. The water level should be enough for the turtles to swim. Provide them with a basking area and basking light. Maintain the water and the ambiance temperature at optimum levels.

Turtle Feeding
Is the question what do turtles eat troubling you? Aquatic pet turtles are omnivorous creatures and eat everything from insects to lettuce. Though, it doesn't mean you can feed anything and everything edible under the sun to your freshwater pet turtle. There not many commercial foods available in the market. You can feed your turtle 'food sticks' to keep your aquatic pet turtle healthy.

You can also give him a mixed diet of fish food, little bits of meat, fruits and vegetables. Aquatic turtle pets have bad table manners and therefore make sure their water is clean and free from decomposing food and meat.

Feed your aquatic pet turtle with small live fish once a week. The fish hunt will provide the water pet turtle with some exercise and entertain you as you watch them dive after their food.

You should keep a dish of fresh water in your aquatic pet turtles pen as their living water is full of their excreta! If you notice lethargy or cloudy skin patches or milky eyes in your turtle, it means malnutrition. Visit a veterinarian with knowledge about reptilian health and find out the cause.

Turtle Care
These exotic creatures have specific needs that are required to maintain their health. There are many factors to be considered other than ample light, moisture, clean water, basking lamp and UVA bulb. When raising an indoor aquatic pet turtle, keep in mind that the tank capacity should be at least 40 gallons. Provide ample land area and water area. Make special arrangements for the turtle to bask under the basking lamp. Do not remove your water pet turtle from the water to play or show off. These sudden temperature change may be stressful to your turtle. Aquatic pet turtles are cold blooded and therefore their body takes time to adjust to the temperature change. Use de-chlorinated water for the tank and fresh spring water for drinking.

Do not use wood chips or tree bark in their dwelling area. These grow fungus and may be harmful if the turtle ingest them. Turtles require 12 hours of sunlight. Therefore provide proper UV light so that they receive vitamin D3 that is necessary for them to stay healthy.

Indoor aquatic pet turtles should not be allowed to hibernate. If you have an outdoor pool or aquatic pet turtle enclosure, the turtle can hibernate. Do not place your aquatic pet turtles in the refrigerator to provide the ideal hibernation conditions. The change on refrigerator temperature due to power cuts may disturb its sleep and prove to be fatal. If you wish to breed aquatic pet turtles, try and recreate their natural habitat. These water pet turtles will undergo hibernation and complete their natural cycles. Do not disturb them while they are asleep.

If you are planning to own a turtle as pet, keep in mind that these intelligent animals can distinguish between friends and foes. Aquatic pet turtles as you have read, have many requirements to remain healthy and live longer. It is not easy to keep an aquatic pet turtle as a pet. You need to put in a lot of care and attention regularly for their well-being. Research well about all the information regarding the pros and cons for wild animals as pets. If you are ready to take this responsibility, adopt a aquatic pet turtle. These tame and sociable creatures do not ask for anything other than a proper environment and good pet care. You are responsible for a precious life, do not let it go waste due to your negligence.