When bringing your turtle home for the first time, remember that they are going through a lot of stress. Try giving your turtle a little quit time for a few hours so that it can get used to its environment. You may visit with your turtle on the first day, but try to keep it brief and without touching. This will help your turtle get used to his new home and bring its stress level down. Then slowly introduce yourself over the course of a few days by spending a little more time with it. Avoid picking up the turtle suddenly and not for a few days. It is normal for your turtle to want to resist any touching for a while, this is a good sign, and it means that he or she is well enough to react.

After some time, your turtle will begin to recognize you. After all you are the one bringing them food. It is very common for a turtle to get excited or come over to you when it sees you walk into a room. Although your turtle is excited to see you, keep in mind that he still does think of food. Try to keep your hands away from its head, it can still bite. If you do walk into the room and the turtle does not react, or you have noticed that it is not active, it may have gotten sick. Check the turtle for anything that doesn’t look right. Droopy eyes, bulging eyes, closed eyes, gunky eyes, can all be a sign of something is wrong. If you suspect your turtle is sick you should seek the help of a qualified reptile vet.

Turtles make extremely interesting pets, but they are not toys. They should never be brought into the home as an entertaining novelty for young children who are not taught how to care for them. There is a long history of this unintended abuse of turtles, which usually results in their sudden demise. The most prevalent danger to pet turtles is from children “playing with them.” Turtles are not cuddly pets like dogs and cats. They do not require that you spend your day in their company. They actually like it when they are left alone.

The enjoyment of your pet turtle usually comes from simply observing its behaviour. Careful responsible handling is critical to their fulfilling the promise of their expected longevity. If you’re bringing a pet turtle into a home with young children, make sure that they understand how to treat these interesting pets. With proper supervision, the turtle’s presence can offer a great opportunity to teach the children about responsibility.

Before you bring a turtle into your home, make sure that you can meet all of the turtle’s basic needs. Buy the biggest tank that you can afford to ensure that the turtle’s home is large enough. An aquatic turtle is going to want to spend most of its life in the water, along with a few hours each day basking in real or simulated sunlight. Make sure his habitat has enough swimming area and suitable land area to meet those needs. Ensure that the habitat provides enough light, shade, and clean water. A UV light is great; giving the turtle an opportunity to bask and absorb much needed vitamin D. A nice rock protruding above the waterline is great for basking in the light.

Because turtles are cold-blooded creatures, temperature control is very important. 80 degrees Fahrenheit is a good daytime temperature, which can be lowered by 10 degrees Fahrenheit at night. The turtle also needs a place to hide from your family’s well meaning intrusions, a little privacy. A small shelter can be purchased at a pet store, or you can easily make one yourself. Your turtle will occasionally go into the shelter for a little quiet meditation time.

Make sure you understand the turtle’s nutritional requirements. Most aquatic turtles are omnivores, land turtles tend to be strict vegans. You can check with your veterinarian for nutritional recommendations, which might include the regular administration of vitamin and mineral supplements.

Be a good housekeeper for your turtle. A clean habitat is a healthy one. Make sure that you clean out the tank at least once each week. This can be an excellent chore for the children once they learn to handle the pet responsibly. 

When you remove the turtle from the tank, make sure that he is roaming in a safe place where he won’t get lost, trapped, injured, or harmed by other pets. 

If you are going to have your turtle outside, it will begin to hibernate in the fall. Try not to disturb your turtle while it is hibernating, doing so can create health risks or may even be fatal. When a turtle is hibernating, you probably will not see it until about the end of April or so. Hibernation helps prevent liver disease among turtles and also helps create a healthier turtle for breeding. 

It is almost impossible to know the age of your turtle unless the place you got it from knows when they were born or you raised it yourself since birth. Often time’s people think that you can count the rings on the turtle to determine the age. However, this is not the case. Turtles can have growth spurts in their life and grow more than one ring. Turtles live a long time, so guessing is almost worthless. Some land tortoises have been known to live for more than 200 years (it would be hard to track down the original owner), box turtles have been known to live for 75 years, and water turtles around 20-30 years. Sometimes you can tell if your turtle has been around the block by looking at the shell, older turtles will have worn spots from digging holes over the years. 

With a little knowledge, regular care, good nutrition, and a comfortable healthy environment, your pet turtle can give you and your family virtual decades of companionship.