Care of pet turtles and tortoises

After writing my previous posts on various pet turtle species I came across many people asking about common turtle diseases so here is a list of common pet turtle diseases and how you can cure and prevent them. I can’t emphasize more the importance of a variety in diet and Water hygiene and quality for a turtle, this alone can prevent most of the illnesses for your loving pets. So try to provide your turtle with a variety of diet and clean water and research more and more and share your experiences so that all may learn from them The common diseases of turtles include: 1.     Vitamin A deficiency 2.       Calcium Deficiency ( metabolic bone disease) 3.        Respiratory disease 4.       Abscesses 5.        Shell infections, Shell rot and injuries 6.        Fracture of shell 7.       Parasites 8.        Eye infection/ swollen eyelids ...

It is also sold as Singapore Turtle or American Turtle along with Red Eared Sliders as they resemble them when young. Since it was my first turtle and I didn't knew much about turtles at that time so  couldn't take pictures of it. The images below are courtesy of www.chelonia.org and google. From the images above you can see clearly why it is so easy for them to be confused for Red eared sliders by inexperienced keepers. Enclosure: the basic enclosure is same as any other turtle species containing a tank, water, substrate if  you want (personally i don't prefer substrate as it clogs up with uneaten food and poop etc.), a strong filtration system, a basking platform, a basking light and a thermostat to keep the water temperature constant around 75-85 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have a pond then ensure that it is properly covered and protected from predators like Kite, Cats, dogs etc. and that the turtle cannot climb it. the basic idea of enclo...

It is a medium sized fresh water turtle. despite its name the color of its upper shell or carapace varies largely from reddish to dark brown and black with yellow streaks running along its length.the underside, plastron is uniformly brown in color. The face of this turtle may have yellow or orange marks and spots with the color of these marks varying form 1 sub species to another. it has 6 identified sub species in the Asian region, each having somewhat different pattern of spots on head. Size may vary from 38 -45 cm in length. there is not much information available for this species online but I will try to combine whatever I have experienced with this species and what I  found on internet. Enclosure: For a basic idea for its enclosure when keeping it as pet please refer to the sketch below. It gives all the basic requirements for keeping a turtle. In a tank you will need substrate, a good filtration system( canister system is best), water heater if you live in col...

My 12" Flap shell turtle flap shelled turtle from beneath It is a very common fresh water turtle found in India and it can be found fairly easily in ponds, steams, marshes, near our house during rainy season and in fish markets. they have a soft leathery type of shell and they are called as flap shell because they have flaps on the plastron above their legs which cover their legs when they retract in the shell. They have a snout which can be seen clearly in the picture above. its size ranges from about 240 to 370 mm in length. Diet: It is omnivorous means it eats everything ranging from snails, frogs, fishes, shrimps, aquatic plants, flowers, fruits, plant leaves etc. mine loved aquatic plant (you can buy them from fish store, they are available now a days for setting up planted aquariums, try to get cheap ones or you can directly get them from outside ponds and marshes if you know any), you can also try to make them eat artificial turtle food but i don...

My Star Tortoise "Rocky" You can see from the above picture why it is called as Star Tortoise ( due to multiple star like markings on its shell) . it can also be found in Indian pet trade although its not very common when compared to Red eared Sliders. They are somewhat costly than red eared sliders (about 700-800 / tortoise), depending on its size and availability in your area, a bigger sized tortoise may cost more. it is a species of dry and scrub area so please don' t I repeat don't leave it into a water tank because it is a tortoise not a turtle and it can swim for only some time and then it will sink and die ( I am saying this because i have heard about the death of 1 tortoise due to this reason).  It has a dome shaped and very distinctively marked shell in black color  with yellow lines radiating from center of each scute , plastron is likewise with yellow and black radiating lines. it can grow upto 10 inches long. sexual dimorphism is qui...

Red-eared slider  (Trachemys scripta elegans ) :   B aby Red eared slider                                                   These are the mot common ones sold as "Singapore turtle" or "American turtle" in India (most common name). They have a distinctive red mark around their ears and are overall green in color.   The top shell(carapace) is flat and oval in shape and has a keel which is more pronounced in young ,it is dark green in color with dark color markings all over it. The bottom shell (plastron) is yellow in color with dark colored lines. Female grows to about 10-13 inches and male grows to 9-11 inches. tail of male is much longer and thicker than female along with longer claws than female. CARE:-   1.Space requirement:- Mature red eared needs water up to...