Land Pet Turtles

There are different animals that can be domesticated with certain pet care measures. When it comes to turtles, we can safely say that turtles make the best pets, be it land or aquatic pets. Land pet turtles expect minimal care and adapts easily to the surrounding. Care for a pet turtle doesn't require large yards and a lot of toys. All that you need to know is the requirement of your particular pet turtle and it will surely reciprocate the love you shower on it.

Land Pet Turtles

It is true that there are different types of turtles who spend the most of their lives inside a water body. But they all breathe and they need a sufficient amount of time to refresh their lungs from time to time. There are also some turtles, that like to stay more on the land rather than underwater. The most popular land pet turtle is the box turtle or tortoise. These are heavy and have dome shaped back. They cannot swim as swiftly as the aquatic and the semi-aquatic turtles. Tortoises range from fairly small like the Egyptian land turtles to extremely enormous sized turtles like Aldabra tortoise. Turtles as pets can be kept indoors but it is always best to keep then outdoors for the sake of convenience.

Types of Land Pet Turtles

Turtles can widely be divided into two categories, aquatic turtles and land turtles. There are various types of pet turtles, that might attract you, but when it comes to the land pet turtles there are two main types.

• Box Turtles: Box turtles are fairly small animals which are native to the US. Box turtles spend most of their time on the land but they love to stay near a water body. Typically, box turtles have smoother carapace, leaner head and feet with claws and toes. They are omnivorous and can also eat some live organisms like earthworms and crickets. If proper water hygiene is maintained, then there are lesser chances for them to fall sick.
• Wood Turtles: Wood turtles are actually semi-aquatic kind of turtles who spend equal amount of time on land as well as in water. North American wood turtles were the most sought after turtles but they were later replaced by the South American and the Black wood turtles. Since the wood turtles are semi-aquatic, care for these turtles require equal knowledge of both kinds of turtles.

Choosing Land Pet Turtles

As it has been said earlier, land pet turtles do not require much care but they do require the initial TLC that you ought to offer them being a proud pet owner. Before selecting a land pet turtle, you should take a look at the following criteria.

• Size: Land pet turtles must be small or at least of a medium size, the carapace length should be less than 10 inches. Especially, if you have a moving job then it is best to start with a smaller land pet turtle. Make sure you can provide enough enclosure space for the turtle wherever you go.
• Native Turtles: Choosing a land pet turtle which easily adapts to your climatic conditions is the best thing to do. Native turtles will naturally adapt best to the native conditions rather than the exotic turtles. Exotic species may not respond that great to the traveling ordeals and climate changes.
• Climate: The important thing to consider while keeping land pet turtles indoors or outdoors, make sure that the climate is well suited for the kind of turtle that you have selected. You should make sure they adapt to the condition in which you want to groom your land pet turtle.
• Diet: The daily diet of the land pet turtles depend upon their type. They can be herbivorous, carnivorous and omnivorous as well. Land pet turtles need to be fed adequate amount of calcium, protein, vegetables and fruits. If you are not sure about exactly what do turtles eat then you can also go for the readymade food items available in the market.

The smallest sized land pet turtle must have an area of about 4' x 4' and larger to serve as their enclosure. Substratum is very important for the land pet turtles to make tunnels and burrows. If you are planning to bring them inside the home, then make sure you provide them enough of thermal gradient inside their enclosure. You might think of using UV-B emitting fluorescent bulbs that also provide them the required heat.

Those of you who are planning to bring home a land pet turtle, make sure to check for the prophylactic antibiotics. Land pet turtles can suffer from diseases caused by several fungus, viruses and parasites. Hence, it is ideal to give the wild turtle, a measured dosage of prophylactic antibiotics after consulting with the veterinary health care provider. For better results, you can adopt a baby turtle. You must take care of your pet turtle the way it demands, whether it is about providing food or water. Well, this was all about land pet turtles. Hope you groom your own land pet turtle the best way you can.