How long turtles live

The first thing you need to provide is the correct temperature range for your turtle. Every species has its own ideal temperature range. For most aquatic turtle species , the temperature of the water should range between 78 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit with a basking temperature of 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Your turtle also needs a dry basking place with a heat lamp and a UVB lamp. UVB is crucial for healthy turtle growth as it aids in metabolism. The heat lamp keeps your turtle dry in the basking place. The last thing you need to pay attention to is the diet of the turtle.

For additional protein, you can use mealworms, insects, shrimps, chickens etc. The diet also varies on what species of turtle you are keeping. You should only get a pet turtle if you can commit to it. A turtle can be a lifelong pet for you. So, if you are ready to take responsibility for it for your whole life, then go for it. You can either go for an indoor turtle setup or an outdoor turtle enclosure , whatever you wish. You should never release a pet turtle into the wild. There are also cases where pet turtles carry certain types of diseases that may harm the wild turtle population.

Would you like to sit in a puddle of your own filth all day? If you can smell it, you waited too long. We suggest weekly spot cleaning at the very least. Being frightened is stressful, and tortoises are notoriously bad at handling stress. Turtles are only slightly better at it. Best to just keep scary stuff and stress to a minimum. Stressed tortoises and turtles will hide a lot. They will stay in their shells. They will spend little to no time with the neck out relaxed pose.

They may even stop eating. We know this sounds kind of like tree-hugger talk, but bear with us. Tortoises and turtles need sunshine. Like humans, they need sunlight to help their bodies create vitamin D. They require either natural sunlight or a sunlamp in their enclosure that they can bask under. Fresh air is good for tortoises and turtles. Sitting in your own mucky, murky, swampy enclosure day in and day out will get old very fast. The air will become stagnant and unappealing, leading to depression and stress.

Yes, tortoises and turtles can get depressed! And, of course, love. But we want to see more people spending time and showing affection to their reptile pals.

Even better, learn the language of your pet! We covered this in another article, so we highly recommend checking that out. Pay special attention to the tortoise nose boop. We can tell you all day what to do specifically to help ensure your tortoise has a long and happy life. Educate yourself not just on basic tortoise or turtle care, but the specific things your species needs.

Every species wants and needs different things, so the more you know about yours, the better. Pretty much the same things that can kill you can kill your tortoise. The slowest and maybe saddest death of all is from starvation or malnutrition. This slow and arduous wasting away can be painful and stressful. Injury is the next biggest killer of tortoises and turtles. Sadly, injuries often come from grotesque mishandling.

Share this article. What did you find helpful? What was not helpful? Say more Sign me up for the PetMD Newsletter. Submit Feedback. Still have questions? Continue to Chewy. Connect With a Vet Experienced vets answer all your pet questions via chat or video. Thanks to their slow metabolisms, they can survive long periods without food or water, which also gives them a greater chance of survival in harsh conditions.

Another explanation is that the long lives of turtles and tortoises gives them an evolutionary advantage that aids in effective reproduction. Wild turtles tend to live in harsh environments that aren't always conducive to breeding. Their long lifespans provide them with more opportunities to procreate.

Turtles also have natural protection from predators in their tough shells and thick, armored skin, which, unlike animals that tend to be prey, gives them the luxury of being able to take their time reproducing. The longest-lived of all the turtle species, the Galapagos giant tortoise, eats a strict vegetarian diet that's full of greens and free of fat and cholesterol. These slow-moving gentle giants are extremely docile and peace-loving creatures that generally live stress-free lives.