Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 4: Choosing your pet
• Part 2 of 4: Making the turtle's indoor enclosure
• Part 3 of 4: Creating the outdoor enclosure
• Part 4 of 4: Taking care of your pet

Tortoises can be fun and rewarding pets. When choosing a tortoise, keep in mind that they usually need both an indoor and an outdoor environment to stay healthy. Also realize that tortoises can live more than 30 years and tortoises longer than 50 years (some even more than 100). With a tortoise you get a pet for life.

To step

Part 1 of 4: Choosing your pet

1. Consider your choice for a moment. Ready to own a tortoise? They are long-lived, can grow to be quite large, are not great pets for young children, and their care and food can get quite expensive (special lighting, enclosures, vet visits). Because they live so long, you should also realize that your tortoise, if cared for properly, can easily outlive you.
2. Decide if you want a water turtle or land turtle. Aquatic turtles are omnivores and require time in the water. Tortoises are herbivores and live on land. Both require suitable outdoor and indoor enclosures and require good and attentive care in order to thrive. Tortoises may have the reputation of being "easy" pets, but they actually require quite a bit of work.
3. Visit turtle breeders and talk to other turtle owners online. Observe the pets and view photos of a number of options. Which one do you like? Which ones do experienced tortoise owners recommend? If it's your first turtle, then you should also ask which species are easiest to care for and which are best for new owners.
4. Keep in mind the climate you live in. Tortoises, if properly cared for, should be outside at least some of the time. Choose a turtle that thrives where you live. This means that if you live in a high-humidity environment, choose a turtle that likes these conditions. And if you were to live in a desert, choose a turtle that thrives in arid environments. This makes it easier to care for your turtle because you don't have to build and regulate a new outdoor environment.
5. Choose smaller tortoises. This is essential if you are moving and changing the environment your turtle is exposed to. It can be very difficult and expensive to create a new outdoor environment for a moisture-loving turtle in a snowy climate.
6. Look for a tortoise that naturally lives in your climate. Just as choosing a turtle that thrives in your outdoor climate makes grooming easier, so does choosing a turtle that is native to your country and region. Tortoises are not native to all areas, but ask around about turtles that can thrive in your area.
7. Buy a turtle from a breeder or sanctuary. Turtles available for purchase elsewhere have often been caught in the wild, leading to extinction threats to wild populations of turtles and tortoises around the world. For the health of the environment and wild turtles, captive-bred turtles or rescued turtles are the best choices.

Part 2 of 4: Making the turtle's indoor enclosure

1. Make the indoor enclosure for your turtle. It must be waterproof. There are many possible ways to make an enclosure, but it should be quite large, even for small turtles - many sources indicate that you can start in a large and deep plastic tub, but as your turtle grows you should enclosure much larger to make. You can make a custom turtle table out of wood, repurpose an old bookcase with no shelves, or use a plastic kiddie pool. Your final choice will depend on the type of tortoise.
2. Install elements in the interior construction. Turtles have specific needs, and the exact specifications will depend on the turtle you choose. Make sure you have everything in place before you get the turtle. You can't just place the different parts over time - the turtle will need everything right away.
3. Buy the right mud product for the type of turtle you have. Turtles need a breeding ground that they can burrow in and what helps them to drain their feces. It is important that you choose a good quality and suitable breeding ground, because they have so much contact with it.
4. Buy special lamps for your tortoise. Turtles need lamps that provide UVB radiation so that they get vitamin B. Keep in mind that you will need to buy new bulbs every 6 months to a year as they lose their ability to produce UVB.
5. Add humidity according to the type of tortoise. Different turtles require different amounts of humidity, so check the needs of your species. It can be low, medium, or high, depending on your turtle's natural habitat. Most of them need some kind of nebulization on their culture medium.
6. Keep your tortoise at the right temperature for its species. You may need to purchase a heat lamp for the correct environment for your aquatic turtle or tortoise. Especially if you have a tortoise that does not naturally occur in your environment, heat can prove to be the most essential element for your tortoise.
7. Provide water. Box turtles and tortoises need some form of water in their enclosures. Again, it will depend on the species, but all require a shallow water dish or bowl for soaking (and possibly pooping too).
8. Create a shelter for your turtle. This is an essential part of how turtles interact with their environment. It can be as simple as a small plastic box or bowl with a hole cut in the side.

Part 3 of 4: Creating the outdoor enclosure

1. Make the outdoor enclosure for your turtle. This will be just as important to many tortoises as the indoor enclosure. Make sure yours is big and safe. Turtles need to be protected from predators and escape. Your enclosure should be high enough to keep them from escaping over it, and have barriers under the mud so they can't dig underneath. A roof on the residence is also a typical necessity.
2. Make sure to use a nutrient medium as the basis of the enclosure. Don't just use the mud from your backyard - it's not suitable for tortoises. Note that grass, especially wet grass, is also bad for tortoises. It can cause painful excrements.
3. Include plants that tortoises like to eat. Since your turtle will be spending a lot of time outside, it makes sense to plant food for him. Then you don't have to look for food yourself, and they can choose to eat when they want.
4. Create hiding places and places to explore - rocks, wood, etc. Don't turn it into a flat, boring country retreat. Create small hills for them to climb, different areas to explore, and a variety of environments within the enclosure.

Part 4 of 4: Taking care of your pet

1. Feed your tortoise or box turtle an appropriate diet. Too much of certain nutrients such as calcium or protein can make your tortoise seriously ill or even kill it. Keep in mind that tortoises are herbivores and box turtles are omnivores. You should feed box turtles snails, slugs, crickets and other animal materials twice a week. The rest of the time they will eat fruits such as cantaloupe, berries and tomatoes. Vegetables are also a great addition to a turtle's diet. Tortoises do not eat animal material at all, but their diets are quite varied. Conduct research to determine which diet is best for your specific tortoise species.
2. Think about whether you want your tortoise to hibernate. Hibernation is a contentious issue among turtle keepers. Talk to your vet to find out if your tortoise needs to hibernate. Keep in mind that turtles with too little fat reserves can easily die if they go into hibernation. Hibernation is also not recommended for turtles that have medical problems. Some turtle experts warn against hibernation altogether.
   • If you do choose to hibernate for your tortoise, prepare your turtle's enclosure carefully. You may even need to make a special hibernation box, depending on the species. It must be in a place that is temperature regulated and cannot be flooded. Stop feeding your tortoise two weeks before your scheduled hibernation and start to slightly lower the temperature in the enclosure. Hibernation can last 3-5 months. Check the temperature requirements for your specific tortoise species.
3. Create a healthy environment for your turtle and your family. Tortoises should not be kept in houses with dogs (possible turtle hunters). Keep in mind that toddlers and children are not ideal companions for turtles, either. Many experts recommend that only children 12 and older should have contact with tortoises. Most small turtles are carriers of salmonella, an infection that can be potentially fatal to toddlers, the elderly, and those with a medical condition. Even if your turtle does not fall into the category of "small turtles," there is still a risk that the turtle will transmit infections to children.
4. Take your tortoise to the vet regularly. Most of the turtles carry parasites and possibly other infections, and some of them can be dangerous to humans. Depending on where you got your turtle from, it could be at risk of malnutrition and dehydration. With turtles it can be difficult to tell if they have problems, so choose a good veterinarian who specializes in exotic animals.
5. Change your pet's environment as he or she grows. Most tortoises will grow considerably with age. This means that you need to be attuned to the ways in which you need to adapt their living environments, both indoors and outdoors, and their nutrition and possible hibernation. Turtles need 0.3 square meters of space per 8 inches of turtle length. In aquatic turtles it is even more - a minimum of 2.5 square meters of floor space per 12 inches of length.