Fursday Featured

Happy Fursday, Missians!

Hopefully you guys have been having a great week so far.  Mine has gone pretty well.  I'm just excited that we're getting ever closer to the weekend.  Since I was blogged Monday thru Friday last week, I decided to give you give you guys a chance to miss us a little bit this week.  Did it work?  LOL.  I certainly hope so!  At any rate, it's time for another Fursday Featured Pet of the Week; but before we get started with that, I wanted to remind you all to tune in to this Saturday's episode of The Missy Show, "Beyond Dogs and Cats:  Farm Animals as Pets".  We air at our normal time of 5pm Central.

Okay, now onto today's Featured Pet.  Although not as popular as dogs or cats, many of you out there may have or once have had a turtle.  And if you've never had one, but have been curious about it, then today is your lucky day!  Because our Featured Pet is the turtle!  Today's information is courtesy of Pet Smart. 

Choosing the Right Turtle or Tortoise For You

Now that you've decided to add a turtle or tortoise to your family, your next step is figure out which species is the right one for you. There are several different types of turtles and tortoises and each has its own set of unique needs including dietary. To help you select the right one, Dr. Robyn Jaynes, PetSmart vet expert, offers the following advice: "It's important to remember that the little turtle or tortoise you're bringing home could grow up into a large turtle or tortoise. Research the different types, taking special note of their expected adult size and the amount of care required to keep them healthy. Then choose the one that best fits your experience level and lifestyle."

Turtles and tortoises: What's the difference?
While both turtles and tortoises are reptiles, have scales and are cold-bolded, the main difference between the two is their habitat and diet. Most turtles spend much of their time in the water, tend to have webbed feet and are omnivores. Tortoises are land-dwellers, have round, stumpy feet like an elephant's and are herbivores.

Which species is right for you?
PetSmart offers several different types of turtles and tortoises. Contact your local PetSmart to find out which ones they carry.
 

Turtles

African Aquatic Sideneck Turtle: Named for their unique "folding neck," these turtles are ideal for beginners 12 years and older with adult supervision. They are primarily aquatic but do require a basking area and are omnivores. As adults, they can reach up to 8 inches. Ask a knowledgeable PetSmart associate for more information on this turtle.
African Aquatic Sideneck »

Central American Wood Turtle aka Ornate Wood Turtle: These semi-aquatic turtles enjoy shallow swimming but need large, dry land areas to bask. While mostly herbivores, they will eat the occasional insect or worm. As adults, they can grow up to 9 inches. Ideal for beginners 12 years and older with adult supervision. Ask a knowledgeable PetSmart associate for more information on this turtle.

Painted Turtle: This colorful aquatic turtle is an omnivore. As adults, they can grow up to 7 inches and enjoy basking so they require land areas. Ideal for beginners 12 years and older with adult supervision. Ask a knowledgeable PetSmart associate for more information on this turtle or see our online guide on general water turtle care.
Painted Turtle »

Caspian Pond Turtle: This semi-aquatic turtle requires a basking area and is an omnivore. As an adult, it can grow up to 9 inches. Ideal for beginners 12 years and older with adult supervision. Ask a knowledgeable PetSmart associate for more information on this turtle or see our online guide on general water turtle care.

Red Ear Slider Turtle: This water turtle is one of the most popular pets in the world! They are ideal for beginners, are omnivores and as adults, can grow up to 11 inches. Ideal for beginners 12 years and older with adult supervision. These turtles enjoy basking so they require land areas. Ask a knowledgeable PetSmart associate for more information.
Red Eared Slider »

Tortoises

CB Cherry Head Red Foot Tortoise: Known for their red markings and bulbous noses, these tortoises are land dwellers but do require a shallow water dish for soaking their shells and drinking. They are herbivores, have a big appetite for fruit, and as adults, can grow up to 12 inches. Ideal for beginners 12 years and older with adult supervision.

CB Red Footed Tortoise: Similar to the Cherry Head, these tortoises are also known for their red markings and bulbous noses. They are land dwellers but do require a shallow water dish for soaking their shells and drinking. They are herbivores, and as adults, can grow up to 12 inches. Ideal for beginners 12 years and older with adult supervision.

Greek Tortoise: These tortoises are land dwellers but do need a shallow water dish for soaking their shells and drinking. They are herbivores and as adults, can grow up to 12 inches. They are ideal for beginners 12 years and older with adult supervision. Ask a knowledgeable PetSmart associate for more information on this tortoise.
Greek Tortoise »

Russian Tortoise: These tortoises are land dwellers but do need a shallow water dish for soaking their shells and drinking. They are herbivores and as adults, can grow up to 8 inches. They are ideal for beginners 12 years and older with adult supervision. Ask a knowledgeable PetSmart associate for more information on this tortoise or see our online care guide.
Russian Tortoise »

Expert fact: Did you know that if properly cared for, turtles can live to be more than 30 years old and tortoises can live to be 50 years and older?

At a glance: What you'll need for your turtle

• Turtles need a large home (a 29-gallon or larger glass aquarium with a screen top) with proper lighting/heating for basking and aquatic requirements including filtration to help keep the habitat clean.
• Turtles need a varied diet including live, prepared and fresh foods.
• Turtles require proper veterinary care.

At a glance: What you'll need for your tortoise

• Tortoises need a 40-gallon or larger glass terrarium with a screen top for ventilation, proper heating and lighting, substrate to line the bottom of the terrarium, artificial or natural rock or wood for a hiding area, a dish for food and a water dish for drinking/soaking their shells.
• Tortoises need a temperate, moderately humid or arid environment depending on the species. To help measure the habitat's temperature, you'll need at least two thermometers to gauge temperature at both ends of the habitat and a hygrometer to measure humidity levels.
• Tortoises require a varied diet that consists of fresh vegetables, a little fruit and prepared foods.
• Tortoises require proper veterinary care.

Welcoming home your new turtle or tortoise

• Ideally, you'll want to have the habitat ready and running before you bring your new turtle or tortoise home so you can troubleshoot any problems like with filtration in your turtle tank or temperature in your tortoise habitat, etc. Being prepared can help reduce stress on your pet and help him adapt to his new environment more quickly.
• Always supervise children when they're interacting with your turtle or tortoise.
• Turtles and tortoises should be handled only when necessary – frequent handling of turtles or tortoises can be stressful for them. Always wash your hands thoroughly after handling your turtle or tortoise to prevent the transfer of certain types of bacteria including salmonella.

Turtle & Tortoise Habitats

Designing a habitat for your turtle or tortoise is a fun project that can be as simple or as elaborate as you want to make it. You can make the habitat come to life with colorful substrates, leafy plants and novel décor. Of course, the habitat will require some essential equipment including land and swimming areas for water turtles and hiding areas for tortoises as well as adequate space, light and warmth. "Design the habitat with the pet's needs in mind," says Dr. Robyn Jaynes, PetSmart vet expert.

	Tank
	Habitat & Accessories
	Heating & Lighting
	Filter

How to determine the right size of tank for your water turtle

To determine how large of a tank to purchase, turtle expert David T. Kirkpatrick, author of "Aquatic Turtles" recommends a tank that can accommodate a water area that is 4-5 times longer than the turtle, 3-4 times wider and at least 1.5 times deeper than the turtles length, head to tail. Water turtles are divers and can become injured if the water is too shallow. If you plan to have more than one turtle in the same habitat, Kirkpatrick advises to increase the size of your tank by 25 percent per turtle.

How to determine the right size habitat for your tortoise

For a tortoise, use a 40-gallon or larger glass terrarium with a screen top for ventilation. They will need enough room for a shallow water dish for drinking and soaking their shells and a dry hiding place where they can conceal themselves.

Lighting

Turtles and tortoises need UV light to help maintain shell and bone structure. They also bask in light to regulate their body temperature. There are two basic types of light bulbs you can use for your turtle: incandescent (for heat) and fluorescent (for essential health). Experts advise 12 hours of light a day using both UVA/UVB fluorescent bulb and a basking bulb.

Expert tip: Avoid placing your turtle or tortoise habitat in full, direct sunlight. The sustained heat from the sun could harm or even kill your pet.

Heating

Turtles and tortoises are ectothermic, or "cold blooded" and cannot generate their own body heat. Provide them with a heat lamp for basking.
For water turtles, a heating element is required to warm their swimming water. The most common types of heating elements are overhead heat lamps, submersible water heaters or under tank heating elements. Turtle experts recommend keeping your turtle's habitat at the following temperatures:

• Day - Maintain a daytime temperature between 75-85º F
• Basking - Provide a basking spot lamp to create a localized basking area of 90-95º F
• Night - Maintain a nighttime temperature between 70-75º F
• Water - Place a thermometer near the basking area, and a aquarium thermometer in the water

Tortoises require slightly different temperatures:

• Day – Maintain a daytime temperature between 70-85º F
• Basking – Use an under tank heater to create a localized basking area of 95-100º F
• Night – Maintain a nighttime temperature between 60-70º F
• Place a thermometer at each end of the habitat to monitor temperatures.

Some tortoises like the Red Footed Tortoise require humidity while others like Greek and Russian Tortoises need an arid environment. Ask your knowledgeable PetSmart associate or see our Greek or Russian tortoise care guides for information on your tortoises' specific needs.

Land areas and décor

While water turtles love to swim, they also love to bask and require an area out of the water where they warm themselves under a heat lamp. "Land areas are an excellent opportunity to be creative with your turtle's habitat," says Dr. Jaynes. "Use aquarium gravel to create a sloped, beach area for your turtle. Or if you're looking for something fun or novel, try a plastic or resin basking platforms like the Zoo Med Turtle Dock."
Basking platforms are just the beginning if you want to decorate your turtle's environment with fun and fabulous habitat decor. Give your turtle or tortoise a "homey" feel to his habitat with décor that resembles what he would encounter in his natural environment. Try aquatic plants like the Exo Terra Jungle Plant Amapallo or wood replicas like the T-Rex Log Landing Terrarium Divider.
Tortoises love to hide so you'll want to provide a platform or an artificial/natural rock or wood décor large enough for them to crawl under and conceal themselves. Try ESU Reptile Bark Bends or Zoo Med Floating Turtle Log. Use a substrate like a mixture of sterile soil and calcium sand for your Greek Tortoise or coconut fiber or bark bedding for your Russian or Red-Footed Tortoise to line the bottom of the habitat.

Filters for aquatic turtles

Filtration helps keep your turtle's swimming water clean and clean water helps keep your turtle healthy. There are several filters available on the market, but the two most common are the canister filter and the power filter. When choosing what type of filter is right for you, the general rule of thumb among turtle experts is "the bigger the better." The more water that moves through the filter and the larger the filtering surface, the cleaner your turtle's water. However, you will want to be sure that the filter isn't causing too much turbulence in the tank which can injure your turtle.

To read about upkeep, maintenance, and nutrition for turtles be sure to check out the rest of the Pet Smart info at: http://pets.petsmart.com/guides/turtles/index.shtml

I hope this gave you guys some good starter information about turtles and tortoises.  Check out tomorrow's blog for our Friday Pet Trivia post.

Until tomorrow,
I wish all you guys a super duper happy Fursday!

This is your host J,
signing off..................................................