General Care for Hatchling Turtles

Before you decide to raise any turtle yourself be sure you are willing to commit several years to caring for it, as many species live as long as humans and sometimes outlive their owners. If you have decided to get a turtle for a pet, chances are that the creature you bring home is going to be all grown up already. Selling hatchling turtles is illegal because they are considered a greater salmonella risk than adults. This isn't necessarily true, but smaller turtles are more likely to find themselves in the hands of children who don't take the proper sanitary precautions after handling. So if you're hoping to bring a cute little guy home, don't get your hopes up.

If you do come across a hatchling there are many things to take into consideration. First of all you'll want to confirm that your turtle is of a breed suitable for captivity; box turtles, red sliders, and mud turtles are popular examples. Snappers are not recommended as they are disagreeable and grow to be very large. Once you know what type of turtle you have, build a suitable habitat. Aquatic and semi-aquatic turtles require filtered aquariums with an accessible dry area to rest or bask in. Terrestrial turtles require a water source to drink from in their dry habitats. Turtles often like to hide, so a secluded area is recommended within habitats. All turtles need a suitable amount of space to live in, and also require controlled temperatures when kept indoors. Be sure to clean the habitat regularly, taking care not to disrupt the balance that has been maintained within it. Turtles kept outdoors are likely to hibernate, so make sure to help your outdoor turtle prepare for the winter by fattening him or her up a bit.

Feeding can be one of the most challenging aspects to owning a turtle, especially when the turtle is young. Turtles can be very particular about what they eat, and if you're lucky your turtle will accept reptile food. Older turtles tend towards being omnivorous, so even if they don't eat turtle food they are likely to accept a wide variety of other things including fruits, vegetables, and lean cooked meat. Young turtles can be very picky and some will display carnivorous eating habits, refusing anything that didn't used to be a living animal.

Feeder fish may be an ideal option, though some turtles will give up if their food is too hard to capture. Some turtles will ignore the fish and live alongside them, which will leave you with additional animals to take care of. Proper filtration becomes especially important then because of the massive amount of waste produced by turtles.

The most important step to successfully raising a young turtle is learning what his or her preferences and comfort zones are in order to create and maintain the most suitable habitat. Extra attention must be paid to habitats with multiple hatchlings to make sure each is kept at optimum health. Taking these steps will help ensure that your young turtle to grow up to live a long life alongside you and your family.