Do you remember reading children’s books with turtles as the main pet? Children adore turtles as pets. They are very interesting creatures and there are many species. When you decide to have a turtle for a pet, you will need to know the exact species for the proper care. Let us look at some turtle species you can own. There are two types of turtles, the terrestrial and the aquatic. This means the first type of turtle spends more time on the land, while the aquatic turtle needs to have a great deal of water.
Box and mud turtles are the terrestrial turtles. They require land to hibernate during the winter and sun on during the day. Most terrestrial turtles need 12 hours of sunlight, which can be provided by a UV lamp. Turtles are very susceptible to temperature changes often living in 80 degrees during the day and 70 degrees during the night. Terrestrial turtles also need water not only to drink, but also to swim around in.
Aquatic turtles are sliders and painted turtles. Sliders typically live in swampy areas or near lakes with a lot of mud. They tend to basic in the sun during the day as well as swim to cool off. The painted turtle like the slider is mostly aquatic so they spend more time in the water than out sunning themselves. The painted turtle is the most complicate turtle to take care of because they require special care.
Once you have decided on the type of turtle you wish to have you will then know what size tank you need. Most turtles require a 40 gallon tank or larger to have room for land and water. You will want to have plants in the tank, but make sure they are not poisonous to your turtle because they will eat them. You pet shop should be able to tell you the right type of plants to have. Wood chips and bark are not a good idea, not only do they harbor bacteria and molds, but the turtle can eat them. A turtle does not have a large digestive track and therefore wood chips often cause blockages. Certain turtles can even have small rocks to burrow under along with the dirt.
Some proper food for turtles is often lettuce, goldfish, special feed sticks, berries and insects depending on the species of turtle you own. Water is very important to your turtle. You never want to give them tap water to drink. It is also best to give them natural spring water or non- chlorinated water for swimming in. Chlorine and other chemicals of tap water can cause bacteria in their digestive systems.
Turtles can make great pets if you know a little about their habitat needs. Turtles are wondrous creatures that you can find in most warm climates walking along the roads or basking in the sun, so what better way than to give you child a great pet than to own a turtle. Keep in mind that turtles are sensitive and you will not want to handle them a lot. They do need to hibernate to live a longer life requiring you to keep the turtle somewhere little children cannot disturb them during the fall period. Turtles are both fascinating and novel pets for children.
Ferrets A Friendly Playful Pet
Ferrets, often considered a rare pet to own. Most individuals choose dogs, cats, birds, or fish to complete their family, however a select few turn to the ferret for its social, playful, curious qualities. Ferrets love to play and explore not only with others and their owners, but also on their own. For this reason, you need to know a few things on how to take care of a ferret.
First, you will want to ferret proof your home before you introduce them as pets. They will crawl into walls, furniture, and anywhere they can get their little bodies. It is much like childproofing a home for a baby. You will want to make sure all of the dangers are eliminated when you allow them out of their cages for playtime.
Ferrets are also biters. The kits, baby ferrets, tend to bite more. You can eliminate the problem or tone it down with frequent handling. It is a sign of their behavior as mock fighting or sparring. The younger ferrets tend to bite more when they are teething and do not mean any harm. For this reason, you will want to handle the ferret or ferrets as often as possible to help reduce the biting behavior. Often those who do not take the time or patience to train their ferret end up leaving the animal in its cage and thus it has a shorter lifespan. Please make sure you are up to the task of training a ferret before brining one into your home. Trained properly they can be as great a pet as cats or dogs.
A ferret’s lifespan is usually six to ten years, however proper care and feeding can lead to a little longer life. Ferrets are carnivores so they require a high protein diet. Most owners decide to feed their ferret’s mice, rats, rabbit, and other raw meats such as chicken. Stores carried other types of ferret food that many owners choose over the live food. Carefully reading the label will tell you if it has the proper high protein diet. Most kitten food can be used for example because it is designed to be high protein and fat for growing cats.
While play is an important part of your ferret’s life so is sleep. Most ferrets spend fourteen to eighteen hours a day sleeping. Part of sleeping is to rejuvenate them from the active play life they have. They love to explore and to play with toys. Many pet stores have toys for ferrets, or you might have something around the house that your ferret will find appealing.
The type of cage is important. Ferrets tend to be very smart so you will need a cage they can get plenty of air, but small enough bars they cannot break away. You will also want to clean the cage once or twice a week depending upon the number of ferrets you have, how dirty the cage looks. They are also burrows so some type of bedding is required.
Ferrets are little balls of fur that love to play and interact with humans and each other. While there are some special concessions you need to make to have a ferret the results are worth it. Proper training as a kit will give you even more joy when they reach adulthood.
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