Comparing Land and Water Turtles
Regardless of whether it lives on land or in the water, we tend to identify any reptile with a hard shell or carapace and a slow awkward gait as a turtle. While this is generally true that they are all turtles, convention dictates that those turtles that live on land be referred to as tortoises. All turtles are coldblooded, meaning that their temperature is the same as their environment. If you plan to keep turtles as pets, it’s important that you understand the differences between turtles and tortoises, and what is required to provide them with a healthy environment.
Turtles live in fresh water, oceans, and marshes. Turtles spend most of their lives under water venturing out only to lay their eggs or bask for a while in the sun. When the weather becomes too cold they go into a state similar to hibernation. Turtles are omnivorous. They eat plants, insects, and fish. Turtles have light shells that are rather flat having only a slight crown, streamlined for efficient travel through water. Their feet are webbed for swimming. Although they are notoriously slow on land, they are very fast swimmers. Often kept as pets, turtles live to an average age of thirty years.
Tortoises spend most of their lives on land, venturing into water to drink or bathe. They are not good swimmers and can easily drown if caught in a swift current. Tortoises are, for the most part, vegetarians or herbivores eating plants with lots of moisture. Tortoise shells are heavy and dome shaped, providing excellent protection. Their feet are short and they have rugged legs. Some tortoises are quite fast on the ground, moving quickly when necessary. Tortoises have very long life expectancies, some living as long as 150 years. While some tortoises are kept as pets, they are not as popular as turtles.
If you are considering having a pet turtle, both land and aquatic turtles (tortoises and turtles) make interesting pets, but the aquatic turtles are generally more popular because their habitat is simpler to create and maintain, and the aquatic turtle’s space requirements are usually much less that a tortoise’s. It’s important that the pet turtle’s environment be as close to what he might experience in the wild as is possible.
If you have an aquatic turtle, a tank with both adequate water volume for swimming and eating and sufficient land area for resting is essential. The water is especially important, and should be filtered and maintained in the same manner as would be done for a goldfish aquarium. Land turtles will usually require a much larger area with access to enough water for occasional bathing. Smaller land turtles can manage is smaller terrariums, but many tortoises grow large enough to require a larger fenced in area outdoors.
As with any pets, clean water should always be available. Most aquatic turtles, being omnivores, will require both plants and animal protein from foods such as calcium-rich vegetables, snails, earthworms, and bugs. Tortoises, on the other hand, should be quite content with a purely vegan diet consisting of vegetables like carrots, berries, and leafy greens.
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