How old are you?
Where did your name come from?
How did you end up with your mom?
What type of turtle are you?
What are some of your favorite things to do?
What is your favorite snack?
Do you have any tankmates or other furry/finned/feathered members in the family?
Do you know any tricks?
What would you like others to know about turtles?
Does you mom want to share anything about you that others may not know?
Do you know of any other turtles that have blogs/facebook/twitter pages that you would like to share?
Is there anything else either of you would like to include?
Turtle Age: Lifespan of Different Turtles
Taken from: http://www.petcaregt.com/Turtle/Age-of-The-Turtles.html)
It is said that the owner of a turtle should be extremely committed and patient towards the pet. Turtle is rather placid and cute pet to keep in initial days, but as it grows people tend to develop a dislike for it. The dislike holds dominance due to the demanding size of the turtle and its extensively long life. Major reason why people disown the turtles is just because of their long lives. Have a look at other side of the coin; there are people who are immensely happy to own a pet which can provide them with a companionship of almost a lifetime. Mentioned below is turtle age information of different species of turtles along with the number of years they live, for you to select the one which best suits you.
- Green Sea Turtle : These turtles are destined with almost the same number of years as its owner has. The average age of a green sea turtle is around 80 years.
- Alligator Snapping TurtleA: Actually the potential lifespan of the turtle when not kept in captivity is not known. An assumption by studying various snapping turtles is made that these turtles when kept in their natural habitat can live upto or more than 150 years. But when tamed and looked after in a fairly good manner, their lifespan outgrows 70 to 80 years.
- Leatherback Turtle : The life of leatherback turtles when set free is around 100 years. In captivity they are observed to live a life of around 30 to 40 years.
- Red Eared Slider Turtle : These turtles in their natural habitat can survive well for around 60 to 70 years. As one tames them, the lifespan of this turtle becomes limited from 40 to 60 years.
- Common Musk Turtle : The average age of this turtle when kept in captivity and when set free does not extend beyond 60 years. Usually it is expected to accompany you as a pet for 50 years if you take really good care of it.
- Big Headed Turtle : The expected life of this turtle when tamed will never exceed 25 years. If it is left in its natural habitat its life can stretch from 30 to 35 years.
- American Box Turtle : If you are actually out to get yourself a companion for lifetime then the best suited turtle for you is American box turtle. The life of this turtle might not end even after you die as this turtle lives a minimum life of 100 years.
These were some of the turtles along with their life spans. Mentioning their age will help you determine if you can afford to keep a turtle. If you tend to get bored easily by a pet then turtles are certainly not meant for you. But if you have ample of patience or moderately enough patience then for sure you can opt for a pet turtle. Then too mind it, that you never opt for species of sea turtle which reach their juvenility at the age of 150. Yet another breed to be avoided by even the most committed tamers is Aldabra Turtle which is expected to have a life beyond 200 years. So, think before you conclude upon any decision.
Common Types of Pet Turtles:
(Taken from:http://www.petturtlecareguide.com/pet-turtle-facts/)
- Slider Turtles: Red eared slider turtles are semi aquatic turtles that are very typical pet turtles. However, there is a misconception that these slider turtles do not require much care. It is a fact that all turtles require a lot of care and commitment to live long, healthy lives. Many slider turtles die early as a result of improper care. With proper care, these turtles can live for more than a decade. An adult red eared slider can grow up to 12 inches long. Male red eared sliders are often smaller than females. Red eared sliders are omnivores, which means they consume a blend of animal and plant matter.
- Map Turtles: Common map turtles are both carnivorous and vegetarian. They can eat various kinds of food, such as crickets, fish, earthworms, carrots and leafy green veggies. Map turtles usually prefer large spaces with a dry basking area and shallow water to bath in.
- Box Turtles: They are semi aquatic turtles, however, they spend most of their time on dry land. They need only a shallow range of fresh water. On the other hand, there are other types of box turtles that are more aquatic, such as the Chinese and Malayan types. Box turtles will generally require a tank with adequate space to bask and swim around in. Water needs to be deep enough to swim through but shallow enough for the turtle to easily climb in and out of it. These turtles eat both plant matter and meat or live foods.
- Yellow Bellied Turtles or sliders: They are easily adapted to captivity. They are suited to shallow water aquaria. They do need basking areas that are raised above water level. Moreover, they are omnivorous, but younger ones are typically more carnivorous than adults.
- Mud Turtles: They are semi terrestrial turtles and well suited to sandy, damp, or muddy environments. They are omnivorous and almost never grow over 5 inches long. Like many other types of turtles, mud turtles like to bask. They can live very long lives as well—up to 50 years old.
No matter what type of turtle you buy as a pet, all turtles require fresh food and water. They also require an environment that is most comfortable for them.
Caring For Your Turtle
(Taken from: http://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/M2%20Turtles%20-%20Owners.pdf)
- Feeding: Turtles need a wide variety of different foods, from mice to worms to insects, as well as vegetables and some fruit. Land turtles need to be fed differently than aquatic turtles.Commercial pelleted turtle feed is available, but it should only be used to make up a small portion of the animal’s diet.
- Aquarium/Terrarium: Turtles are cold-blooded animals that rely on theirenvironment to regulate their body temperature. Turtle enclosures requirespecial heating and lighting, and certain types of bedding/litter to ensureyour pet stays healthy and happy. Aquatic turtles need an area to swim,and land turtles need a shallow dish of water to drink from and to soak in
Can My Turtle Make me sick?
(taken from: http://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/M2%20Turtles%20-%20Owners.pdf)
Yes. The most frequent disease people get from turtles is salmonellosis, which is an infection caused by the bacteria Salmonella. Although Salmonella can also make your turtle sick, the majority of reptiles, including turtles, carry Salmonella as part of the normal bacteria in their intestine, and the animal may look completely healthy. Nonetheless, the bacteria can still make a person very sick. Salmonella may be found on any part of a turtle, not just in its stool.
People catch Salmonella by swallowing it. With turtles, this usually happens because people get the bacteria on their hands and then touch their face or the food they are eating. Salmonella also survives very well on objects and surfaces in the house with which a turtle, or something touched by the turtle, has been in contact.
Salmonellosis usually causes diarrhea. Most people recover in a few days, but some people become very sick when the bacteria get into the bloodstream. In some cases, people have died from Salmonella. People can also get Salmonella from touching or eating undercooked food such as chicken that was contaminated with the bacteria during processing, and not from a turtle.
Young children are at an increased risk of catching Salmonella from a pet turtle, because they often do not wash their hands properly after touching a turtle, and they often put their fingers or objects in their mouths. People who are immunocompromised (e.g. HIV/AIDS patients, transplant recipients, cancer patients) are also more likely to get sick from Salmonella because their immune system cannot fight infection
Reeves Turtle Care (Chinemys Reevesii) is a small or medium size species of turtle found in China, Korea, and Japan. They are a semi-aquatic species that thrives in calm streams, shallow pond, shallow parts lake and wetlands. they are also omnivorous, in the wild, they eat native aquatic plants, fish, snails, freshwater shrimp,and incests. These species are currently are facing threat of habitat destruction, human consumption and pet trade.
Size:
Reeves Turtle will reach a maximum of 10″ if they are females, male would be smaller in size.
Captive Habitat Needs:
Provide an large aquarium for adequate space for this species. Provide at least 100 gallon aquarium for a single female and 75 gallon aquarium for a single male.
Use a canister filter, biological filter, or an large power filter to provide adequate water quality. These species are sensible to water quality. These species are susceptible to shell rot if you don’t provide adequate water quality. Provide a basking platform, so these species can bask. Provide UVB and UVA light for this species. Keep water temperature at mid 70’s and 80 degrees, basking temperature should be around low 80’s through 90 degrees.
Feeding:
Feed this species, pellets, minnows, insects, leafy vegetable. Feed this species small amounts until they stop eating, then discard any leftovers.
Outdoor Care:
Reeves Turtle can be kept outside in a shallow pond. provide aquatic plants for cover and food, provide a basking spot for these species to bask. They may hibernate depending on where you live but take precaution.
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