Turtles eat meat and also eat plants. They eat raw fish, yabbies, shrimp and worms. They also eat larvae of mosquitoes and other insects that they find in the water. They feed only on water. Calcium is important for turtles and can be provided by adding a small block of hard plaster of Paris to the water so that it gradually dissolves and releases calcium. For babies, it`s a good idea to buy as large a tank as possible so you don`t have to upgrade as quickly. A good size to start with is 120x60x60cm, but as an adult, 180x60x60 is more suitable. Pools smaller than 90 cm are not suitable for turtles. Call Pet City Mt Gravatt on 07 3349 2086 to see if we have turtles in the store. We also sell all the equipment in the store to make sure you are ready to own a pet turtle. It is important that you have purchased a turtle license before trying to bring one home with you. Droughts also take a heavy toll on turtles by drying up their habitats and depriving them of food. In addition, turtles are often drowned in illegal fishing nets or killed by fishermen who are annoyed to catch a turtle instead of a hooked fish.
If you don`t take your turtle outside for more than 20 to 30 minutes at a time, it can have great health benefits 2-3 times a week, but it`s not recommended for hatching turtles as it can be too stressful. Always make sure that «out of time» is fully monitored and that the turtle also has access to shade. Here are two beautiful species of turtles that can be kept as pets in WA if you have purchased a suitable reptile keeper license. These are the elongated turtle and the flat turtle. Turtles are reptiles that have scales and are cold-blooded, most turtles spend a lot of time in the water, tend to have fins and are omnivorous. Turtles have excellent eyesight and a keen sense of smell, they are fascinating to watch, making them popular pets for families and enthusiasts. Did you know that turtles have been on Earth for over 200 million years? A turtle up to 10 cm in diameter should be kept indoors and can live in a glass basin 90-120 cm long, about 50 cm wide. There should be a 3 cm layer of shell chips and sand on the ground. The water should be deep enough for the turtle to swim completely underwater, and there should be a place where it can get out of the water to bask. Usually, a tree trunk protruding from the water or a rocky outcrop above the water is enough.
Places that sell turtles and tanks can also sell floating platforms. In New South Wales, freshwater turtles face many threats. Introduced foxes and pigs steal their nests and consume more than 90% of their eggs in some areas. Baby turtles that hatch from the few remaining eggs have to deal with turtle-eating fish, birds and other predators. Adult turtles are protected from most natural enemies by their shells when they are in the water, but if they venture ashore, they can be killed by dogs, foxes or pigs or crushed by motor vehicles. Large river stones or fine river sand about 5 cm deep can be used. Gravel should never be used, as turtles can accidentally pick it up, which can lead to a visit to the vet. There should be a pond, at least 2 square m and more than 30 cm deep and easy to clean.
It should have sloping sides and a large trunk of rock or tree so that the turtle can climb in and out of the water. The soil surface can be gravel or grass, and there should be some protection like a bush or rocks or tree trunks. During the colder months (in Australia, it`s usually about April to September in the southern states), turtles are inactive and spend time under protection or in mud at the bottom of the pond. The flat turtle is also known as the flat turtle because of the round shape of its shell. It is the least known of the Australian turtles and also one of the smallest members of the long-necked turtle family. Flat turtles have a very calm nature and will settle very quickly in captivity and many become tamed within a few days. Maximum length 20 cm. The elongated turtle has a very long and thick neck and is often found in the permanent streams of the extreme south-west of Western Australia. Their head is strongly pressed and their shell is very elongated (hence their name). The long turtle shell is not as hard as that of other members of the genus Chelodina. These turtles have only recently become available as pets, so little information has been gathered about keeping them in captivity.
Elongated turtles can be quite shy and quickly develop stress-related diseases. It is important to offer your turtle appropriate hiding places. Maximum length 40 cm. The following recommendations should be used for illustrative purposes only. The amount of food offered should be about the same as the turtles` heads. Turtles are reptiles whose body is protected by a shell. There are a number of freshwater turtles that humans can have as pets. They can be housed indoors or outdoors. Often misunderstood, turtles become very large and have a long lifespan. Native Australian turtles need a lot of space, no aquarium will suit these guys.