How to Care for Baby Turtles

Baby turtles can make lovely pets, but it takes work to make sure their environment is perfect. Luckily, many of the materials you need to make a home for a turtle are inexpensive and might already be in your home.

Things You'll Need

  • Aquarium or tub
  • Water
  • Lamp
  • Meal worms
  • Soil
  • Small stones
  • Chunks of tree bark
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Instructions

    • 1

      Find a container for the turtle to live in. If you have a glass aquarium, that would work perfectly. If you do not have a glass aquarium, a plastic bin would work, too.

    • 2

      Pour soil into the container about 2 inches deep. Keep in mind to leave about one-fourth of the bottom free of the soil in order to make room for a small pool. Make a gradual incline in the soil to ensure that it's easy for the turtle to crawl out of the water. Pack the soil down.

    • 3

      Pour water into the area you set aside for a pool. The depth of the water depends on how big the turtle is. The water should be no deeper than the turtle is long. For example, if the turtle is 1 inch long, be sure the water is no more than 1 inch deep. Change the water whenever you notice a film forming on the top of it.

    • 4

      Sprinkle stones throughout the container. Put some along the water and in other random spots. Put two large chunks of tree bark in the container in such a way that the turtle can hide behind it. Turtles like an interesting environment, but do not make it too cluttered.

    • 5

      Place a lamp over the container as a heat source. Turtles are cold-blooded, so they need this heat to survive. You should also place the container near a window that gets plenty of sun. Sunlight is necessary for the production of vitamin D.

    • 6

      Feed the turtle meal worms or other types of small living insects. Their appetites will not be big for their first few weeks, but you should notice a big appetite increase after a month or two. Always make sure they have plenty of food.