Superstition
Turtles in many cultures are thought to be lucky. In many parts of Asia, turtles are thought to be lucky, and if you own a turtle that dies, it brings bad luck. In the U.S. , turtles just have their own appeal to them. Even if it may not give you good luck to have a turtle, still make sure they stay happy and healthy.
Care
Caring for turtles can (sometimes) be tough. Some people think turtles are more resilient then they really are. It's true they are very resilient, but some people don't know that turtles are parasite and disease carriers. The following are problems I encountered, and a section on egg binding that I threw in.
A major problem with turtles is Samonella. It doesn't harm the turtles much, but it can easily spread to the turtle owner.
A major problem with turtles is Samonella. It doesn't harm the turtles much, but it can easily spread to the turtle owner.
Egg Binding
If you caught your (female) turtles in the wild, then there's a chance that they were fertilized in the wild. If you want to check, press the area in front of their back legs and (lightly but firmly) press. If you feel a round object, they have an egg (but it doesn't tell you if it was fertilized.) Egg binding is when the females do not feel they have a proper place to lay their eggs. The eggs will stay inside. If you have a place that the female should have put their eggs (diggable and safe land), and they still are not laying, then see a vet. Once the (wild caught) female lays their egg, put it in an incubator. (Tank with soft substrate with a sun lamp.) The eggs might take up to 90 days to hatch.
Anorexia
Anorexia is the rejection of food. Most cases occur normally, when the turtles are a few weeks from brumation (see Hibernation (Brumation)). This is normal. More on Brumation anorexia in that section. Another cause is you keep feeding them the same food. Turtles love change. Give them something new every once and a while and they will (probably) keep eating.
Open Wounds
Turtles are sometimes daredevils. They will sometimes go tumbling off a high surface. Most of the time, it's because they see an escape route and then they hope to be free. This is a common cause of open wounds. If infection of the wound happens, you may want to see a vet. If it is small, you can just try to keep them healthy in their diet. Also, to prevent further injury, try to block the escape.
Making a Turtle Enclosure and Feeding
Make the turtle enclosure 25 square feet. Put in substrate (soft material that can be dug into) and a few rocks. Make a cave or hiding shelter. Get a nice, flat rock for feeding on. Buy a cuttlebone and put it in the main shelter. Make a pool for bathing and a pool for drinking. Put some decorations in every so often so they don't get bored.
For feeding a hatchling (2 weeks after hatching) turtle, give it some small earthworms or red crawlers. Avoid superworms. (They bite.) For a 1 year old, keep feeding harmless worms a tad bit bigger. For 2-4 year olds, keep feeding larger worms but not superworms still. Also, give them fruits and veggies. When your turtle is 5 years old, you can attempt to give them superworms, but superworms can run away fast. (For a worm.) My advice is don't use superworms at all. Mealworms and red wigglers are ideal.
For feeding a hatchling (2 weeks after hatching) turtle, give it some small earthworms or red crawlers. Avoid superworms. (They bite.) For a 1 year old, keep feeding harmless worms a tad bit bigger. For 2-4 year olds, keep feeding larger worms but not superworms still. Also, give them fruits and veggies. When your turtle is 5 years old, you can attempt to give them superworms, but superworms can run away fast. (For a worm.) My advice is don't use superworms at all. Mealworms and red wigglers are ideal.