Last tour update 3/15/2018
If you
visit TurtleTails.com often, you know that this web site was created
to share pictures of turtles with you for the simple enjoyment of doing
so. Many enjoyable hours are spent doing just that.
While showing our turtles and how we house them to fellow herpers (something we also enjoy doing), they were pleased to learn some of our techniques for raising baby turtles. We realized that you may enjoy going behind-the-scenes as well so we created these tours. Beginning with the introduction of our first three tours, the popularity of "Raising Baby Turtles" has been more than was anticipated and indicates to us that more content of this nature will be appreciated. Please keep in mind that these tours are not care sheets or advise. There are plenty of web sites that provide care sheets and tell you what to do and think. The tours are simply the sharing of ideas and techniques we use. None of these techniques are necessary to keep turtles successfully. The tours on this page deal mainly with baby turtles and indoor habitats. A second series of tours, Backyard Turtles, features the keeping turtles outdoors. The few tours on this page that deal with outdoor techniques were written before the Backyard Turtles page and will remain on this page.Don't forget to visit the Backyard Turtles page. In order for you to better understand the techniques presented here, please know that any turtles featured on these pages that are kept in captivity by us are kept as pets. They are cherished. Each one is named and relates to us in its own way. They are not kept as specimens and are never sold to others. We want them to be healthy, happy, and with us for a very long time. With this in mind, we can express our goals for housing turtles as follows:
1. Provide healthy and safe environments,
So lets go behind the scenes and see some of these techniques: |
Tour
1: Baby Land Turtles
Setting up an open vivarium for box turtles and other terrestrial turtles. Revised 5/13/2012 |
Tour
2: Baby Water Turtles
Setting up an aquarium for small water turtles. Revised 1/15/2010 |
Tour
3: Give My Poor Turtle a Bone
Yes! We give our turtles bones. Revised 1/15/2010 |
Tour
4: Rub-a-Dub Dub
Three turtles in a tub for their weekly soak. Revised 1/15/2010 |
Tour
5: An Interesting and Enjoyable Environment
And fun to create. Revised 1/15/2010 |
Tour
6: In the Leaf Litter
An ever changing environment. Revised 1/15/2010 |
Tour
7: A Better Island Planter
Just one of many variations of a theme. Revised 1/15/2010 |
Tour
8: Caring for Turtle Eggs
Answers to many many emails on how we incubate turtle eggs. Revised 1/15/2010 |
Tour
9: Summer Box for Juvenile Box Turtles Outdoors
Time to move young box turtles outside. Revised 1/15/2010 |
Tour
10: Feeding Baby Turtles
More on feeding baby turtles. Revised 1/15/2010 |
Tour
11: Hibernation of Pet Turtles
What we do with our turtles during Pennsylvania winters. Revised 1/15/2010 |
Tour
12: Many Uses for Concrete
Projects for aquariums, outdoors habitats, and around the yard. Revised 1/15/2010 |
Tour
13: Using Brass and Copper
Projects for aquariums and vivariums. Revised 1/15/2010 |
Tour
14: Help! I Found a Turtle
Our thoughts and advise as often conveyed in emails. Revised 1/15/2010 |
Tour
15: Do Turtle Shells Peel?
An answer to another common email we receive. Revised 1/15/2010 |
Tour
16: Handling Pet Turtles
How and how often we handle our pet turtles. Revised 1/15/2010 |
Tour
17: Hide Boxes for Turtles
How we make hide boxes for our pet turtles. Revised 1/15/2010 |
Tour
18: Starting Hatchling Water Turtles
How we start raising hatchling water turtles. Revised 1/15/2010 |
Tour
19: A Floating Island Planter
That's right! A floating island for turtles that is filled with plants. Revised 1/15/2010 |
Tour
20: Breeding Pet Turtles
No we do not breed turtles. They do it all by themselves. Revised 12/17/2011 |
Tour
21: A Muddy Pool for a Pet Snapping Turtle
It doesn't get much better for a pet snapping turtle. Revised 1/15/2010 |
Tour
22: How Much Space for Pet Turtles
Think of yourself as your turtle's space rather than the container that houses it most of the time. Revised 1/15/2010 |
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23: A Temporary Turtle Pen
Not all pet turtles have permenent outdoors enclosures to use. Revised 1/15/2010 |
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24: Decorating Vivariums with Turkey Tails
Yes we are decorating vivariums with fungi. Revised 1/15/2010 |
Tour
25: Before You Go to the Pet Store
We recommend that you start at home not at the pet store. Revised 7/18/2010 |
Tour
26: Steampunk Terraqueous Etagere
You will just have to read this tour to see what it is about. New 1/9/2013 |
We hope you enjoyed the tours and will visit the tours on the Backyard Turtles page. Come back again; more tours are planned.