| Turtles can make great pets and a welcome addition | | | | of their time on land. This is just as well as these |
| to any home if treated right. In order to properly | | | | turtles are very clumsy swimmers. That is not to say |
| care for these creatures having an understanding of | | | | that they will not take a dip in shallow waters from |
| the different turtles types is highly beneficial. Turtles | | | | time to time, but if they get flipped upside down and |
| are seen as kind of an exotic pet and most people | | | | stuck underwater they could drown. |
| underestimate the care and routine maintenance | | | | A prime example of a tortoise would be the box |
| involved in keeping them as pets. | | | | turtle. People who own box turtles as pets typically |
| There are lots of different species and they all have | | | | keep them in an out door turtle pen, where weather |
| sub-species. Learning about all the different species | | | | and temperature permit. Only shallow water is |
| would take months, but there are ways of breaking | | | | provided for wading and drinking. Their wild life |
| the turtle types down to make it more manageable. | | | | environment has to be recreated precisely for good |
| In a broad sense turtles can be classified into three | | | | health. Factors such as temperature, humidity and |
| categories: turtles, tortoises and sea turtles. These | | | | some kind of stimulation for the turtle are necessary |
| three turtle types have very different lifestyles and | | | | for good health and development. |
| requirements. | | | | Sea turtles |
| Turtles | | | | Sea turtles stay in the water all the time. Sea turtles |
| When speaking of these animals people think of all | | | | inhabit every ocean of the world, aside from the |
| kinds of different examples. Some people think of a | | | | arctic region where it is far too cold to support sea |
| little box turtle they caught when they were a child | | | | turtle life. The only time these turtles leave the |
| while some would think about the majestic sea | | | | ocean is to lay their eggs, then they return back to |
| turtles that glide through the oceans surrounding | | | | the sea. |
| tropical islands. They are both types of turtles, but | | | | Sea turtles typically live in salt or brackish waters. Pet |
| they lead very different lives. | | | | turtles that stay in the water can be referred to as |
| A turtle by definition is a semi aquatic animal, meaning | | | | "aquatic". These come in fresh water varieties as |
| that it spends some of its life in the water and some | | | | well, but many say even a little sea salt to their |
| of its life on land. Most turtle species spend most of | | | | freshwater tank is much better for their health. |
| their time in the water and come on land primarily to | | | | With an understanding of the three turtles types it is |
| bask in the sun which emits some much needed | | | | far easier to break up the sub species from there. |
| vitamin D3. | | | | Among all the species some have tendencies and |
| Good examples of semi aquatics are the painted | | | | behaviors that lean more towards other types of |
| turtle and the red eared slider. As pets these turtles | | | | turtles. For example there are people who own |
| have more water than land in their environment. A | | | | typically clumsy swimming box turtles that were quite |
| small section of their tank would be dedicated for the | | | | graceful in the water. On the other hand, certain |
| turtle to bask under a UV lamp. This provides vitamin | | | | types of painted turtles spend more time on land |
| D3 and raises their core body temperature. | | | | than others. This is a good starting point for learning |
| Tortoises | | | | about the many types of turtles. |
| Tortoises are terrestrial, meaning they spend most | | | | |