Choosing a pet is quite a challenge, especially for people who are used to a certain pace and lifestyle. Cats molt, dogs need to be strolled, rodents can spoil furniture, and birds are too loud. If all these features of animals are unacceptable, turtles will be the best choice as pets - the domestic species of these reptiles are relatively simple and unpretentious in terms of content. In addition, they live very long and, contrary to widespread prejudices, cute, funny and curious creatures.
Types of turtles for domestic use
There are more than 300 varieties of lovers lying in the sun, able to live in captivity and feel comfortable with a person. Depending on the preferred habitat, they are divided into 2 large groups - land and water turtles . Despite the name, the last species of reptiles needs periodic walks on land with mandatory sunbathing, otherwise the pet may get sick due to a lack of ultraviolet.
Which turtle is best to choose? It depends on the temperament and features of its future host. Land reptiles are the most sociable and calm, they willingly make contact with a person. Water species of reptiles are self-sufficient, but more graceful, watching them in the aquarium is a pleasure.
Popular types of land turtles
In the pet store you can often meet the following reptiles who prefer land:
1. Central Asian (steppe) turtle:
- feature: slowness and awkwardness;
- sizes: up to 25 cm;
- food: salad, clover, dandelions, plantain and other herbs, sometimes you can pamper your pet with juicy vegetables and fruits;
- Containment conditions: terrarium, enclosure with high ledges (not less than 30 cm) and a small swimming pool, there is a need for burrows, places for turtle shelter, the ability to dig;
- life expectancy: more than 40 years.
2. Starfish (Indian) turtle:
- feature: very beautiful carapace of dark color with yellow stripes in the form of stars;
- dimensions: about 25 cm;
- food: dandelions, alfalfa, lettuce and other plants, vegetables and fruits - carrots, apples, zucchini, pumpkin;
- conditions of maintenance: a large warm terrarium;
- Life expectancy: up to 80 years.
Types of aquatic home turtles
The choice of floating reptiles is slightly larger, although they are less popular. The fact is that for the maintenance of such pets, capacious aquariums are required with continuous filtration and heating of water, special lighting, temperature and humidity control, and the purchase of the necessary devices will "tangibly affect your pocket". Especially it concerns sea species of domestic turtles. They need to create conditions that are ideally similar to staying in a natural habitat. So, even for a small reptile you need a huge aquarium of about 200-250 liters.
If the desire to have a waterfowl is strong, you can choose from the following:
1. Red-bellied tortoise:
- feature: a small elongated red spot next to the auricles;
- dimensions: not more than 30 cm;
- food: small fish, including fry, crustaceans and shrimps, sometimes the turtle does not mind diversifying the diet with herbs and sea plants;
- conditions of maintenance: an aquarium of about 200 liters with an islet of land occupying not less than 25% of the area, the turtles perfectly coexist together;
- Life expectancy: 20-40 years.
2. Chinese trionics:
- feature: softness, the trionics shell is devoid of horny plates and covered with skin, easily traumatized;
- sizes: up to 40 cm;
- food: fish, worms, bloodworms, snails, mussels, shrimps;
- conditions of maintenance: a large aquarium (200-250 liters minimum) with a small shore or an islet, trionics prefer solitude.
- life expectancy: approximately 45 years.
It is better to have very young turtles or to tame right after birth.
3. Swamp (American, European) turtle:
- feature: a smooth oval shell of olive or black with a lot of light tiny specks;
- sizes: up to 35 cm;
- food: frogs, fish, shrimp, snails, crickets and other small living creatures, also beef and chicken heart, liver;
- conditions of maintenance: a spacious aqua-terrarium of 100 liters, a third of which is occupied by heated islands of land;
- Life expectancy: from 20 years.