When a child begins to ask parents to buy him a pet, a very difficult question arises in front of them: "Which animal should I prefer?" Dogs are true friends and partners in the game, but they make a lot of noise and garbage. Cats are affectionate, but their coat often causes allergies. The fish are cute and unpretentious enough, but they can not be picked up. And then many think of turtles. Water turtles are not much different (in terms of communication) from fish, but they need a constant change of water. But land turtles at home take root pretty well. They do not so much dirty housing, do not make noisy sounds. Finally, feeding turtles will cost owners less than dogs or cats. So it turns out that this is the perfect pet!
Habitat
In nature, land turtles inhabit the vast open spaces of deserts and steppes in Africa, Asia and South America. You can find some species in the forests. Their sizes are different, there are also small individuals - up to 12 cm long, and truly huge - meter. These animals differ in rare longevity. They can easily reach one hundred years. Turtles are slow and unhurried, and in case of danger they do not run away, but hide in their carapace. By the method of nutrition, these animals are vegetarians. All this, of course, must be taken into account when deciding how land tortoises will be kept at home.
Content
For the full content of such a pet, you should acquire a terrarium, which will become his house. Of course, there were times when these reptiles lived in shoe boxes and crawled around the house. But such a content of turtles can cause irreparable harm to the animal. And given the fact that the cost of these pets is quite high (they are more expensive than even their water relatives), it is worthwhile to make some efforts and provide your pet with a normal home. The terrarium should be quite spacious so that the turtle can move freely. The bottom must be covered with soil. Smooth pebbles are best suited, which will not hurt the skin of the turtle paws. As for any "small" animal living in the terrarium, your "Tortilla" needs to be made a house. It should be a shelter, something like an inverted box without a bottom, with a wide entrance, into which the carapace easily fits. It is necessary to organize heating of the terrarium and good lighting. This is usually done using an incandescent lamp. The air temperature at which land turtles are kept at home should be in the range of 27 - 29 degrees. And let it be warmer under the lamp itself - there the turtle will “bask in the sun”. From time to time (about once every ten days) you need to arrange a bath with warm water for your pet. If it is good to know what land turtles are afraid of, their care and maintenance becomes quite easy. And such insidious enemies for them are drafts. They are contraindicated in these animals, as they can cause serious diseases.
Feeding
Like wild brethren, land turtles prefer plant foods at home. Most often this is fresh grass or steamed hay, vegetables, lettuce. It is also necessary to feed them specialized mineral and vitamin supplements, mixing them with food. Although turtles can go without water for a long time, it is better to put a drinker in the terrarium.
Turtles are also interesting because in nature they hibernate twice a year (in special heat and extreme cold). However, at home, when the weather does not deteriorate, the animal can remain active during these periods. With good care, the turtle is able to live in the house for 40 years.