What to Do for Fun With Your Turtle?

For some families, turtles can be an ideal pet because they are quiet, do not shed and require less care than some other types of pets. Turtles live in their aquarium and as long as they are fed and clean, they do not require much else. In fact, turtles do not require any social interaction from their owners at all and, in some cases, can even make their owners sick. However, just because you cannot play with your turtle in the same way as a cat or dog, you can still have fun with your pet.

  1. Training

    • Even though turtles are not as smart as a dog or cat, you can teach your turtle a few small tricks. Your turtle will quickly learn that you are the one who feeds it. You can take advantage of this by hand feeding your turtle its food in a specific location within the aquarium. Always feed him at the same time and make him come to your hand. After a few days or a week or two, your turtle will show up in the feeding spot at the right time. While you aren't going to be able to get your turtle to roll over or beg, it's a neat trick to impress your friends when your turtle shows up for dinner.

    Live Feedings

    • Much of the food you feed your pet turtle will be food pellets you buy from the pet store. You can supplement these pellets with fresh meat, fruits and vegetables. However, fish should also be an important part of your turtle's diet. Once a week or every other week, buy small live fish from the pet store and introduce them into your turtle's tank. Watch your turtle hunts down the fish for his supper. This can provide you with entertainment for the evening while your turtle enjoys its treat.

    Play with It

    • While it isn't recommended to play with your pet turtle regularly, you can take it out of the aquarium to play occasionally. However, young children should never play with a turtle to reduce the risk of injury to the turtle and illness for the child. If you take your turtle out of the aquarium to play, monitor him carefully. Turtles are cold-blooded and do not do well with quick temperature changes, such as removing him from a heated tank to room temperature and back again. Hold your turtle by the sides of its shell when lifting it to prevent injury to the turtle and bites to you. Once your turtle is out of its cage, allow him to walk around and explore. Always clean the area in which your turtle played thoroughly to prevent the spread of salmonella.

    Make a Maze

    • While you cannot make your turtle do anything if it is feeling lazy, watching your turtle walk around and explore its environment can be entertaining. If you want to mix things up for your turtle, move the rocks around in his habitat and watch him explore his "new" surroundings. You can also build him a maze, possibly in a second heated aquarium to prevent temperature changes and put him in the new tank a couple times a week to watch him go through the maze. You may even be able to tempt him through the maze with food at the end, especially with a special treat, such as a dried cricket.

    Swimming Session

    • Most turtles like to swim and often, the aquarium does not provide a very large water area because turtles also require dry land on which to spend time. Give your turtle a treat and enjoy watching him swim around by placing him in your bathtub. Fill the bathtub with warm water; make sure it isn't too hot for your turtle. The water temperature should be around 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Make the water deep enough that your turtle can dive down and swim around. If you want to provide him with a dry place to rest, place a large aquarium rock in the shallower end of your bathtub so he has a dry place to sit. Clean the bathtub thoroughly after your turtle is done using it.