Taking Care of a Pet Turtle

A turtle can seem like an easy, low-maintenance pet for children, but in fact turtles require a good deal of care. Like any pet, turtles need a proper diet and a suitable habitat in order to thrive. While bringing home a turtle can be initially expensive, the experience can be just as rewarding as caring for a more traditional house pet such as a cat or a dog. Common pet turtles include box turtles and sliders, both relatively easy to care for, once you get the hang of it.

Things You'll Need

  • Outdoor pen
  • Aquatic Tank
  • Heat Lamp
  • Turtle Food
  • Fruits and Vegetables
  • Fish
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Instructions

  1. Box Turtles

    • 1

      Set up the outdoor habitat for your box turtle. Box turtles are land loving and thrive best in moderately moist, temperate climates. A box turtle habitat should include a shady area, plenty of room to dig and a moist soil area. Ideal outdoor habitats include room to hibernate and should have a covered top to keep other animals out.

    • 2

      Arrange an indoor habitat for box turtles in extreme climates where it's very hot, cold or wet. Indoor habitats should still include room to dig and a place to hide. Indoor habitats do not allow box turtles to hibernate, so a heat lamp should be included for colder periods when the turtle ordinarily would be hibernating.

    • 3

      Feed your young box turtle twice a day and adults once every other day. According to Pet Place, box turtles eat turtle food, fish, pinky mice (baby mice, usually sold frozen), earthworms, fresh vegetable such as lettuce and carrots and fruit like blackberries.

    • 4

      Change the box turtle's water regularly. Turtles will make a mess in their water, making it unclean to drink, so water must be changed on a regular basis.

    • 5

      Find a veterinarian who is capable and experienced caring for turtles. Like other pets, turtles should see the veterinarian on a yearly basis. Have your turtle checked for salmonella regularly.

    Sliders

    • 6

      Build or purchase a tank for your slider turtle. Sliders, commonly called red-eared sliders, are aquatic turtles and require a wet habitat for survival. A slider turtle's tank should be 40 gallons or larger and must include include a dry basking area with a heat lamp for warmth.

    • 7

      Feed your slider turtle in the tank's water. Feeding should occur twice a day for young turtles and about once every other day for adults. According to Lifescript, sliders like to eat crayfish and snails, but can also eat meat as well as vegetables and fruit--but not lettuce or spinach.

    • 8

      Filter and replace the water in the slider turtle's tank regularly. The water will grow dirty from the turtle living there, so cleaning and filtering the water is important.

    • 9

      Take your turtle to the vet. Like box turtles, sliders must be examined by a vet and checked for salmonella.