Turtles as pets

Turtles are reptiles.
They have a shell covering their body.
Their head, legs and tail are not inside the shell.
They can tuck head,legs and tail under the shell if they need to.
Turtles and tortoises are in the same family.

Turtle or Tortoise... what's the difference?

The turtle family is called Testudinae and is part of the reptiles group. All of them have a beak called a tomia instead of teeth.
They all have a shell. The top part of the shell is called a carapace. The underneath part of the shell covers the belly and is called a plastron. The shell is part of the animal's body and does not come off. Some turtles have a soft leathery shell, but most have hard shells.

There are 3 groups of turtles:
Turtles generally spend most of their time in the water. Sea turtles have flipper-like legs.
Tortoises spend most of their time on the land. Their legs and feet are very club-like, with claws.
There are also terrapins, which spend equal amount of time on land and in the water.

In Australia, there are native turtles but no tortoises.

In Australia, you are not allowed by law to catch any animal from the wild and make it a pet. You have to go to a pet shop that specialises in pets such as these. They will tell you if you need a licence to keep the kind of turtle you choose, and if so, they will tell you how to get one.

Housing
Before you buy your turtle, you must have a home ready for it.
To house a turtle indoors: A turtle up to 10 cm in diameter can live in a 90 -120 cm long glass tank, about 50cm wide. There should be a 3cm layer of shellgrit and sand on the bottom. The water needs to be deep enough so the turtle can swim completely underwater, and there should be a place for it to come out of the water to bask. Usually a log that sticks out of the water is enough, or a ledge above the water. Places that sell turtles and tanks may also sell floating platforms. A light with a special bulb from the pet shop should hang 10cm above the basking area, so that the turtle can bask in the 'sunshine'. A 40-60 watt spotlight hanging 10-15cm above the water can be used. Your turtle should receive 8-12 hours of this light each day. In the wild, sunlight helps keep a turtle's shell hard and healthy. Water needs to be kept around 22-25ºC so a water heater will be useful. It is very important to keep the tank and water clean so your turtle does not get sick.

In spring and summer, your turtle should be placed outside twice a week for about 10-20 minutes, in a tub of water about 10 cm deep.

To house a turtle outside: you need a fenced area about 4m x 2m. The fence should be smooth (e.g. fibro cement or corrogated iron) and go about 30cm into the ground. Turtles can dig, and they can get hurt on chicken wire. There should be a pond, at least 2m square and over 30cm deep, and easy to clean. It should have sloping sides and a large rock or log so the turtle can climb in and out of the water. The land surface can be gravel or grass, and there should be some shelter such as a bush, or some rocks or logs. From April to about September, turtles will be inactive and spend time buried under shelter or in mud at the bottom of the pond.

Feeding
Turtles are carnivores, though they will eat plants as well. They will eat raw fish, yabbies, shrimp and worms. They will also eat mosquito larvae and other insects they find in the water. They only feed in the water. Calcium is important for turtles and can be provided by putting a small hard block of Plaster of Paris in the water so it dissolves gradually, releasing calcium.

Turtles should be fed in water that is about 23-30ºC. Cooler or warmer temperatures can result in digestion problems. Feed about 10 bite-sized pieces once or twice a week. You can buy commercial dry food or crickets. Meat that you buy from the butcher or supermarket can be too fatty and doesn't give many nutrients to a turtle.

Buying your turtle
Make sure the turtle is active, with bright eyes. It should pull back its head if touched. There should be no mucus coming from the nose or mouth and there should be no white or soft spots on the shell or skin.