Basic Turtle Care

Have you ever noticed just how popular turtles are? You can find them in just about every pet store across the country, and as such you can find these wonderful little pets in the homes of many of the homes in just about every city. Just because a pet is popular doesn't mean that the proper methods of care are very widely known. Luckily, basic turtle care isn't all that hard to learn. All you need to do is keep in mind these guidelines and you will be well on your way to providing a good home for your little friend.

• Know your turtle. The most basic of all elements involved in basic turtle care is to know what species of turtle you have. Without knowing exactly what kind of turtle you are dealing with, you will never really know what it needs, what it looks like when it isn't feeling well, or even what sort of environment is the most comfortable for it. After all, there are some turtles that live in a desert and a moist environment could cause it harm instead of helping it.
• Visit the vet. Once you have purchased your new pet turtle, you need to take it to the vet as soon as possible. This will allow you to find out what the general health of your turtle is, as well as if there are any potential problems that your turtle may experience. In addition, the vet can tell you whether or not there are any diseases that you need to be worried about, or aware of. It's not exactly a common place occurrence, but it does happen enough that you should have your pet checked.
• Create the proper environment. After you have done a bit of research about your particular pet turtle, you should begin creating the best possible living conditions for it. This is usually done by obtaining a large aquarium and converting it to the needs of your pet. However, whatever you decide to use should be large enough that your turtle can get plenty of exercise without being too large.
• Clean house. With the house of your pet now under control you need to remember to periodically clean it. On the average this means that you should be cleaning out the aquarium, changing the water, and so on in the habitat at least once a week. There is nothing wrong with doing it more often, but the absolute minimum is once a week.
• Regular checkups are a good idea. Just as you yourself should be going to the doctor at least once a year for health checkups, so too should your pet turtle. This will allow you to know if there are any developing issues that you need to take care of, as well as telling you the general health condition of your pet. In addition, this will also allow you to ask any questions that you may have had, but hadn't been able to find an answer for.