What to feed baby terrapins

What Do Baby Turtles Eat in the Wild and As Pets?

Slow-going turtles that live in an aquarium and can be just as fun to watch as cats and dogs. Like most reptiles, they are fairly easy to maintain. They live for a long time, especially when you feed them right.

As a turtle mom or dad, you may want to make sure your baby turtle is eating the right kinds of food, or feed them a diet as similar to a wild turtle as possible. We’re going to cover what baby and adult turtles eat in the wild and also what you can feed them as pets, depending on your preferences.

What Wild Turtles Eat

Image Credit: Nature_Blossom, Pixabay

Turtles are found on every continent in the world except Antarctica. You will likely spot a turtle along the bank of a small pond, stream, or lake. They love damp areas with lots of rocks or spaces they can hide. This means that they like to eat things you can find in these areas.

Wild turtles eat a variety of things in nature. When they are babies, they mostly eat meat because they need the protein to keep growing. Types of protein they like to eat include small insects, snails, worms, and fish. When they get bigger, they can start eating more and more plant-like substances.

What Pet Turtles Eat

What your pet turtle needs for nutrition depends on the species and age of your turtle.

Omnivorous vs Carnivorous vs Herbivorious Turtles

There are three kinds of turtles; carnivorous turtles are rarer and eat only meat, omnivorous turtles are more common and eat meat and vegetation, and herbivorous turtles eat only vegetation. Box turtles, Mississippi maps, and red-eared sliders are omnivorous and common pet turtle breeds. Musk turtles are carnivorous.

What Do Adult Pet Turtles Eat?

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Just like in the wild, a turtle’s diet needs to change as they age. It’s important to know how old (approximately) your turtle is so you know what to feed him.

Pet turtles that are mature and omnivorous can eat pelleted food specifically made for turtles. You can find this kind of food at most pet stores. Again, check the species to make sure you are giving your turtle the right diet.

Most turtles do well on pellet food containing between 40-45% protein and 6-8% percent fat. The moisture content counts too: the higher moisture content in the food, usually the higher percentage of protein and fat inside the food. Look for “fish meal” towards the top of the ingredients list.

Turtle-specific pellets should make up at least 25% of your turtle’s diet. It’s important to get food specific for turtles as it stays intact more easily when it contacts water, and it also floats.

The rest of your turtle’s diet should be 25% from a protein source, like a comet goldfish, which also provides essential nutrients like calcium and phosphorus.

The final 50% can be made up of fruits and vegetables. Vegetables should be rich with colors, such as dark, leafy greens, shredded squash, and carrots. You could also opt to feed your turtle aquatic plants like duckweed.

Occasionally you can offer meat, but this is not always beneficial. Turtles benefit most from the nutrient livers of feeder fish, and won’t get much of what they need from the kind of meat we normally eat.

Herbivorous turtles, like land turtles or tortoises, can be fed only fruits and vegetables. Aim for 20% fruits and 80% vegetables total.

Related Read: 10 Best Turtle Foods – Reviews & Top Picks

What Baby Pet Turtles Eat

Image Credit: Pixabay

Baby turtles in the wild eat from different food sources sometimes because they are growing. In general, you should feed a baby turtle a little more protein than you would an adult turtle. You can replace some fruits and veggies with a little more pellets and feeder fish if your turtle is still growing.

Pellets are a great option here, but you could opt to feed him live food instead. Baby turtles can eat the same kinds of proteins adults can: earthworms, snails, slugs, grasshoppers, beetles, and crayfish. Ask your local pet store if they have live food for reptiles, and this is where you can buy it.

One thing you might want to consider adding to your pet baby turtle’s diet is a gel capsule supplement. You can find these at most pet stores. Just make sure the label indicates that it’s for your specific breed of turtle.

Ultimately, you want to make sure what you feed your baby turtle has variety. That way, you know he is getting all the nutrients and vitamins he needs.

Is It Okay to Keep a Wild Turtle?

Generally, no. For one, turtles in nature are wild animals. They are not used to human interaction, and will therefore not make very good pets. Wild turtles could carry diseases that captive-bred turtles don’t have (though both can carry some, which is why you should always wash your hands after handling). Lastly, some states ban captivating wild turtles. It’s frowned upon by conservationists, as well. These are all the reasons it’s not a good idea to keep a wild turtle.

Here’s another interesting read about turtles: 17 Turtles Found in Illinois

Baby Turtle Care Tips

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Feed them in a separate aquarium to keep your main habitat clean. Alternatively, you can sprinkle pellet food on top of their water. Whatever you feed them, make sure it’s shredded into small pieces to make it the easiest to eat.

Turtles eat every day when they are young. Once they are about 7 years old, you can feed them once every 2 days. They can be fed 1 cup of turtle food per day, or whatever amount they can eat in around 20 minutes.

Never feed your turtle cat or dog food, as the protein content is too high and could harm your turtle.

Here’s another topic of interest: Can Turtles Eat Chicken? What You Need to Know!

Conclusion

Baby turtle’s diet needs differ slightly from adult turtles, just like in the wild. They require a little more protein and rely more on essential nutrients than full-grown adults, and that’s about the only difference. When it comes to feeding a baby turtle a pellet diet or live food, the choice is up to you.

Looking for more information on turtles? Take a look at:

How To Take Care Of A Turtle Egg: A Beginner’s Guide (with Pictures)
Do Turtles Need a Heat Lamp at Night? Lighting Guide For Your Pet Turtle
How Many Babies Do Turtles Have? How Many Eggs Do They Lay?

Featured Image Credit: Gauthier Pous, Pixabay

KEEPING BABY TERRAPINS

by Charles Grima

If you are planning to buy a baby terrapin, do your homeworkfirst, before you buy it. I have always looked upon tortoises as being the CINDERELLAS OF THE PET WORLD, but I think the little terrapins, which we see in the pet shops, are on level terms with them. Baby terrapins are greatly misunderstood, and because of this, their life in this country is not always a happy one. I suspect that the fatality rate is very high.

Pet shop owners, no doubt, do their best for them while in their care, but many people who buy them either give them the wrong care, or quickly tire of them and neglect them. Further, when in captivity, terrapins fall easy prey to disease if neglected.

To care for baby terrapins properly requires patience and the will to give them plenty of attention. If cared for properly, they grow to about seven inches (18 cm.) males and twelve inches (30 cm.) females, in length, and can live for many years.

MORPHOLOGY

A terrapins shell is flatter than that of a tortoise; this allows it to travel through water with the least resistance. The shell is composed of an outer layer of horn, and an inner layer of bone. The outer layer of horn is the protection, and is composed of a number of tough shields or scutes. The under part of the shell is known as the plastron, and the upper part as the carapace; they are joined at the sides by the bridges. If the terrapin is dropped, or is stepped on, the shell may break. The shell and the skin are very sensitive.

The terrapins jaws are composed of bone, covered with hard layer of horn, which comes to a sharp edge. There are no teeth, but the hard horny jaws are very effective for biting and tearing up food.

The fore legs are covered with scales, which gives them protection. This also applies to the heads when it is withdrawn into the shell behind the legs. The hind feet are webbed and are used as paddles to propel the terrapin along in the water. In some species the fore feet are partly webbed.

The terrapins tail is hollow (but does contain the tip of the back bone, of course) And contains a sac, the cloaca, which is a communal reception chamber for urine and faeces, as well as a leading to the sex organs. All urine and droppings pass through the hollow tail.

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

Hearing in the terrapin, as in a tortoise, is, on the whole non-existent, but it has quite good sight, but this naturally deteriorates with age.

The sense of smell is keen, and is used for finding food, both on land and in the water.

Terrapins can breath quite freely when on land, or in the water. On land they breath by alternately contracting two muscles in the flanks, and two in the front of the body. By this means the lungs are expanded and contracted, air being sucked and pushed out. Although this method is quite effective, it is primitive to a land mammal. In the water, the terrapin breathes by using the lining of the throat, and by using two sacs in the cloaca, which allow air to pass through them.

While it is easy to sex adult terrapins, it is difficult to sex baby terrapins. In the adults the plastron is either flat or convex in the female, while it is concave in the male. Males have larger nails and are smaller in size.

Terrapins like most creatures, like company, so if it is possible, keep two or more, and they will live a happier life. They live in large numbers in the wild. If a terrapin falls onto its back when on land, it can usually right itself, but if for some reason it cannot, put it on its feet immediately; otherwise it will die, as the lungs will be compressed by the intestines and other organs, preventing it from breathing.

SPECIES OF TERRAPINS KEPT AS PETS

Some years ago, practically all terrapins sold in pet shops were of the hardy species, coming mainly from Europe, but, for the past few years, large numbers of half-hardy terrapins from North America have been available.

European species are still imported, but in a small numbers. One is the so-called European Pond Turtle (Emys orbicularis), a species that is found in North West Africa, Southern Europe to West Asia, and in parts of Holland, Germany, Poland and Lithuania.

The carapace of this species is black or brown, with yellow spots or radiating lines on the shields. The plastron is of greyish yellow colour with irregular brown patches. It is hinged between its two sections, and is joined at the side to the carapace by cartilage. The top of the head and neck are brownish black with yellow spots. There are webs on both hind and front feet.

A second species of hardy terrapin some times imported is the Spanish Terrapin, (Mauremys (Cclemmys) caspica leprosa), which is found in North West Africa and the Liberian Peninsula. Young specimens of this species have a yellowish-brown carapace with orange-yellow or red patches in the middle of the shields. The plastron is yellowish, while the skin is olive-green with orange streaks or spots.

By far the most common terrapin imported is the North American half-hardy Red-ear, (Trachemys (Pseudemys) scripta elegans), so called because of the red or dark orange stripe on each side, running from the eye back onto the neck. The head and limbs have a background colour of brown or olive-green with yellow stripes. Its carapace is dark green, while the plastron is yellowish with black markings. It is often referred to as the Elegant Terrapin. This species is found in Northern Illinois and Indiana, and westward through South West Iowa, most of Oklahoma and the Eastern half of Texas. It is also found in most of Missouri, Eastern and Southern Kansas, Western halves of Kentucky and Tennessee to North Alabama and Southern Louisiana. (and in Zabbar)!!!

A second half-hardy subspecies some times imported from North Americas the so-called Yellow-bellied Terrapin (Tramchemys (pseudemys) scripta scripta ). It has a dark brown or black carapace, while the plastron is yellow with some black pigmentation, and there are some black marks on the outer edges. A distinctive feature is the yellow blotch on either side, which curves from behind the eye down to the chin. This subspecies is found in parts of Virginia, North Carolina, most of South Carolina, West Georgia and North Florida.

FEEDING BABY TERRAPINS

The feeding and general care of both hardy and half-hardy terrapins is much the same. It must be remembered that these creatures will only feed when in the water. If at any time they find an item of food, which they like, on land, they will drag it into the water to eat it. In the wild they live mainly on live food, and, being flesh eaters (carnivores), they eat fish, tadpoles, worms, insects, etc, in fact, anything in this line, which is small enough to be eaten. They catch their food while swimming about.

However, in captivity, these babies will readily eat small pieces of raw fish, beef, etc, herring and liver being especially good as part of their diet. There are also some very good commercially produced foods on the market. The pieces must be no bigger than a match head, otherwise the babies may choke. When healthy, they will eat heartily, and their diet must be varied in order that they get the essential vitamins, minerals, ect, which they need to keep them healthy. Offer them daily, and a drop of cod liver oil to each feed. They will not eat in the cold, or in the dark.

Although basically carnivores, terrapins should have, and will enjoy, a small amount of green food, such as lettuce or pond weed, about three times a week. When the terrapin is in the water, drop a few small pieces of cuttle-fish in front of it; and it should snatch them and eat them. These will provide calcium, which it needs for growth of the shell and bones. Twice a week will be sufficient.

LIVING QUARTERS.

The living quarters of a terrapin are very important, especially for the babies, as being too small to hibernate, they have to live in them all the year round.

The vivarium should be as large as possible, allowing the terrapins to get all the suns rays and natural light. In fact, on hot, sunny days they can be put out of doors in the sun, but they must have protection in case the sun gets too hot. (Some shade), they also need to be protected from cats, which will eat them.

Baby terrapins should be kept in a roomy tank, and these can be bought in pet shops (or from the club). They must be of clear glass to allow natural light to get through to the terrapins. For two baby terrapins, a tank 18 in long by 12 in wide (45cm * 30cm) will be ideal at first, but a larger tank will be necessary as the terrapins get bigger. The water in the tank for babies should be about 4 in (10cm) deep at first, but this can be deeper as the terrapins grow.

One important point which many people do not realise, and unfortunately are not advised about, is that these baby terrapins require heat; a temperature of 75-80 F (23.8-26.6 c). Ideally, fish tank heaters can be used, and, when providing heat, I always provide two heaters, so that if one fails, the other will provide some heat until the fault is rectified (e. g. 2*50w instead of 1 * 100w). Another essential is an island onto which the terrapins can climb easily, as they do come out of the water to dry themselves. The top of the island must be clear of the water. A flat stone or piece of weathered brick will be ideal, but it should not take up too much space. When dealing with terrapins you should keep in mind that they foul the water after each feed, so this means that to have a clean aquarium a filter should be installed.

BUYING A TERRAPIN

When buying a terrapin you will, naturally, want to choose a healthy one. There are a few points, which will help you do this. The eyes should be clean and bright, and should be free of discharge. They should open and close freely. The mouth should also be clean, should open and close freely. Failure to this may mean some injury to the jaw, or diseases of the mouth. It is also an idea to handle a few terrapins for weight, choosing the heaviest.

A healthy creature should be lively, and should move its head and limbs freely, withdrawing them when touched, taking into consideration the surrounding temperature (terrapins become lethargic in cold conditions). The shell should be clean and free of cracks, as should be the skin. On putting pressure to the protruding feet, a healthy terrapin should either push against you or withdraw them quickly.

Any responsible pet shop owner would appreciate your pointing out any creature, which is injured or appears unwell, for, if diseased, it could affect the whole stock.

COMMON AILMENTS

Terrapins kept in captivity can suffer from various ailments, due, in many cases, to incorrect feeding, or too foul water. I will describe the most important ailments, but I must emphasise the importance of getting veterinary treatment early, as with these creatures, their condition deteriorates quickly when ill or injured.

One common complaint is softening of the shell, due to a lack of calcium. In its early stages this is treatable if caught in time. If a terrapin with soft shell refuses food, take it for veterinary advice immediately, but if it is still feeding, offer it small bits of cuttle-fish and cod liver oil mixed with its food. In these cases the shell feels rubbery.

Blindness and deformities can also occur through lack of sunshine and vitamins (this is why sunshine and vitamins are essential, of course, Vitamins A and D being necessary to correct these conditions). Again veterinary advice is needed. Cod liver oil can be given by mouth if the terrapin is feeding, as this contains the necessary vitamins.

If the water in the tank becomes fouled, the terrapin could develop a mouth infection. This will be recognised by a reluctance to feed, a dirty mouth inside, with the mouth probably being partly open, as well as giving off a nasty smell. Such a terrapin should be isolated and veterinary advice sought, as this condition is sometimes infectious.

Any other problems such as cuts, cracked shells, swellings, signs of worms or blood in the droppings must be dealt with by a veterinary surgeon as quickly as possible.

These little creatures deserve decent care. It is to be hoped that, with much wide publicity and advice on their care, their lives may become much happier than is sometimes the case-free from the ailments, which many of them suffer and die from

Donated by the Malta Aquarist Society Club visit MAS club website

How to feed marsh turtles at home, feeding rules

A turtle is an ideal pet for many people. Takes up little space, quiet, calm, does not shed, does not cause allergies. She doesn't need to be taken for a walk. The bog turtle is an unpretentious amphibian. She spends most of her time on land, and in the water she fulfills her natural needs - to swim and eat.

Despite the fact that the turtle is unpretentious in food, its owners need to know how to properly feed the river dweller. nine0003

Content

1 Rules for feeding
2 The main diet of reptile
3 Types of feed
4 Features of feeding
5 Feeding a swamp turtle - video

Rules for feeding

The amount of marsh feed turtle is selected depending on age reptiles. Young turtles are fed every day. Adults need to feed 2-3 times a week. Each owner should choose the portion size for her independently, taking into account the pet's appetite. Babies are usually given 2-3 pieces of fish or meat 1 cm in size. Adults are given larger cubes, about 2-3 cm each. It must be remembered that the bog turtle can only be fed wet food at room temperature. nine0003

Reptile basic diet

The bog turtle is a carnivorous animal. In its natural habitat, it eats fish, small frogs, mollusks, wood lice, worms, insect larvae. She also feasts on coastal and aquatic plants. Dry food is not suitable for her. Such reptiles need live or frozen food. The main food for turtles is fish. It is better to give her small live fish, which can be immediately put into the aquarium.

In captivity, the turtle is fed lean fish, shrimp, earthworms, squid. Adult reptiles need plant foods, so cabbage, lettuce, dandelions, and duckweed can be added to the animal's diet. nine0003

Turtle's weekly diet should consist of 70% fish, 20% meat . The remaining 10% should include shellfish, snails, insects and plant foods. With this diet, the turtle will be full and healthy.

Types of feed

The main dish in the bog turtle diet is fish . You can buy a variety of fish for her. The main thing is that it should not be too oily. In the diet of reptiles should be gobies, pollock, cod, hake. Fish can be either fresh or frozen, but it should not be cold. nine0003

You can feed the turtle with meat. The insides are perfect for her - beef and chicken heart, liver, stomachs. However, white meat should not be given to a swamp resident. She can be pampered with insects and crustaceans. She will not refuse daphnia crustaceans, earthworms, bloodworms, wood lice, all kinds of beetles, grasshoppers, locusts without legs. The reptile will happily eat freshwater snails, frogs, tadpoles, shrimp and squid.

Turtles need vitamins and minerals for normal growth and development. Calcium should be added to the reptile's food, which plays an important role in the formation of a hard shell. Soft shell indicates its deficiency or a serious illness of your pet. If the turtle's diet is varied and balanced, mineral supplements will not be needed. It is very important to give turtles fish with entrails and bones, snails. They serve as a source of calcium for them. In order to avoid its deficiency, they need an ultraviolet lamp and a mineral block neutralizer. nine0003

Feeding considerations

Bog turtles are highly intelligent creatures. Their intelligence is much higher than that of the land. They are teachable. Teaching a reptile to take food from tweezers is very easy. If you give her food on tweezers, then she will pull her head out of the water and grab food. She will take food when she is out of the water. At the same time, he will leave to swallow it in the water. With this feeding, the water in the aquarium will remain clean.

With proper care of the reptile, it will develop a conditioned reflex when the owner appears. She will pull her head out of the water when she sees him. You can teach it to a certain time. Then she will recognize the owner, and crawl out to meet him. nine0003

The bog turtle has a good appetite. She can only eat in water. She loves hunting, so she will not refuse whole insects and live fish. The animal will happily tear the food with its claws and eat it.

If you throw food into the water, it will quickly become dirty and spoiled. When feeding, it is better to transplant an aquatic resident into a shallow basin of water. In order for food to be well absorbed in the stomach of an amphibian, the temperature of the water in the pelvis should be in the range of 32-34 degrees. When the turtle is full and wants to leave the water, it should be transplanted to land. nine0003

If a bog turtle has become inactive, refuses to eat, it should be taken to a veterinarian for examination and recommendations.

Feeding a bog turtle — Video

What to feed land turtles at home, what not to feed

Most species of land turtles eat plant foods. Therefore, if such a turtle is kept at home, then you need to be very careful about its diet. People who faced a debilitating problem started keeping special food journals for their pets:

daily;
weekly;
monthly.

As a rule, the menu is prepared in advance, with planning for each day. This takes into account all the necessary vitamin supplements, in the form of calcium and various amino acids. If you purchased a turtle, and you don’t know how to feed it, then for a start you should at least make a preliminary planning of its diet. In the process of feeding, it will become clear how to adjust her nutrition. In order not to take risks, it is better to seek information from a specialist or “dig” on the Internet, where there is a lot of useful information. nine0003

It is very important that nutrition is optimal and balanced. The turtle should not be overfed, but should not be allowed to starve. Her diet should include foods rich in essential vitamins and minerals in order to ensure normal development and growth for the pet.

If the turtle eats a lot of different foods, this can negatively affect the health and longevity of the pet. As a result of overeating, the turtle can develop diseases of the liver and gastrointestinal tract. nine0003

With insufficient food, the turtle will not receive the required amount of nutrients, which can lead to developmental defects.

Although tortoises eat mostly plant foods, care should be taken to ensure that the tortoise also consumes animal foods. It can be no more than 5% of the total diet, but this is quite enough for its normal development.

Those who do not know how to feed this animal can purchase special artificial supplements with vitamins, proteins and other trace elements. How many such additives are required to the main diet is indicated on the package. nine0003

A complete list of allowed plants and vegetables can be found here.

Contents

1 Turtle diet
2 Should turtles be fed
3 What do turtles eat in their natural habitat?
4 What should not be fed to tortoises?
5 Turtle diet in winter and summer
6 In addition

Turtle diet

Greens - 75%;
Complex dishes in the form of various cereals - 5%;
Vitamin supplements - 5%.

When formulating her diet, one must take into account the fact that some substances, such as vitamin D ₃ , can adversely affect her health. You should carefully study the list of substances prohibited for land turtles.

It should be remembered that in animals that enter captivity, there is a shift in her behavior. With a lack of nutrients, she will begin to eat everything, including the earth in the terrarium. To prevent this from happening, you should take great responsibility in organizing the nutrition of your pet. With proper and balanced nutrition, the turtle will delight others for many years. nine0003

Therefore, before you start feeding an animal, you should make an approximate diet:

As mentioned above, the basis of the diet is greens , in the form of lettuce and dandelion leaves, plantain and alfalfa, thistle and sorrel, lawn grass, as well as leaves and stems of legumes (peas or beans). In addition to this greenery, turtles are happy to eat inflorescences of various plants. The main component must always be in the feeder, and the reptile will decide how much to eat. nine0010
Vegetables are in second place. Turtles love to feast on pumpkin, fresh carrots, ripe zucchini, young beets and radishes. Once a month, the turtle can be given a cucumber or horseradish.
Apples and pears must be included in the list of berries and fruits . From time to time, apricots, plums, raspberries, strawberries, and watermelon can be included in the diet, but in small quantities.

Is it necessary to water the turtle

As a rule, tortoises get the main dose of moisture from vegetables, fruits and greens. Most experts say that it is enough to provide the turtle with a bath of water once a week and it will not suffer from a lack of moisture. The fact is that turtles are able to replenish the lack of water through the skin. If a turtle swims in a bowl of water for 10 minutes, then this is quite enough for her. nine0003

There are cases when, after acquiring a turtle, this small animal still suffers from a lack of moisture. In such cases, for some time you should provide the turtle with daily baths with water. Water should be poured up to half of the body so that the head peeks out of the water. To this end, at first, you can install a drinker with clean water so that the turtle can drink at any time.

What do turtles eat in their natural habitat?

The diet of tortoises consists of plant foods. Being in natural conditions, the turtle consumes all the necessary nutrients that ensure its normal development. At the same time, the turtle always feels which microelements it lacks at one stage or another of its life path, and it does an excellent job of this task, finding the food that it needs. nine0003

A turtle can be in a state of searching for scarce food for a long time without harming its health. You can learn a lot of interesting things about these amazing animals by reading the relevant information on the Internet.

What should not be fed to tortoises?

Unfortunately, the list of prohibited products is very extensive and should be read. This list includes cockroaches, crickets, eggshells, potatoes, garlic or onions, various meat products (including sausage and minced meat), bread, milk, various cereals (except for rolled oats), citrus peels, cherries, seeds from any berries . These foods can cause liver disease, which will significantly reduce its life expectancy. Therefore, when starting to draw up her diet, one should take into account the harmful effects of the above products on the turtle's liver and not include them in the diet.

A complete list of prohibited products can be found here.

Turtle nutrition in winter and summer

Despite the fact that the animal is in captivity, it can feel the approach of cold weather, which contributes to a change in taste preferences. In the summer, the turtle eats more juicy foods, then with the advent of a colder season, it prefers soaked hay and less juicy vegetables. In any case, you need to monitor the behavior of the turtle, as well as the fact that it consumes more from food. nine0003

In addition to

Being in captivity, the turtle tries to follow its natural instincts and may hibernate. Naturally, this can be facilitated by certain conditions of detention associated with a decrease in ambient temperature within the zone of keeping the animal. It can be not only winter, but also summer hibernation. In nature, turtles hibernate for two main reasons - this is a cold snap or lack of the required amount of food. To prevent this from happening, you should maintain the temperature at an appropriate level, as well as provide the pet with a variety of foods. It should always be remembered that even a turtle must sleep under certain conditions, which is extremely difficult to provide for her at home. nine0003

In order not to risk the health of a small pet, you need to provide it with the appropriate mode, which is on the border of the maximum level. Under such conditions, the turtle is unlikely to think about its hibernation, especially if it has all the necessary products.

It is very important that the heating is similar to the warmth that the turtle felt when it was under the rays of the sun. After all, in the sun, the turtle not only warms itself, but also receives a dose of UV radiation, which helps to better absorb calcium in the body . Without calcium, the turtle will not be able to fully develop and this should always be remembered. Therefore, the presence of a UV lamp is mandatory, as is its inclusion for several hours throughout the day.

From this we can conclude that the future of a small pet depends entirely on who cares for him.