All you need to know about turtles in general and Reeves turtles in particular

One of the best pets that there is a great demand in the exotic pets department is a turtle. There are a huge variety of turtles available all over the globe. With more than 300 Different Turtle species, there are numerous subdivisions. Turtles can grow up to 6.6ft of length and a 2,000 lbs weight. There is quite a huge number of differences within the family itself. Turtles are quite different from tortoises in their lives. Most turtles species spend their lives near a body of water. Turtles always have webbed feet and are able to swim much better than tortoises, who have stubby feet and sharp claws. The types of turtles that can be found in nature are divided into 14 families and this can further be subdivided into two broad classifications. The first type would be a cryptodira which comprises of 11 families and Peurodira, comprising of 3 families. The turtles belonging to the Cryptodira family have the ability to retract their heads into their shell. The Peurodira comprises of chelus fimbriatus, pelomedusidae and Podocnemididae. If you are planning on having a Reeves turtle as a pet, these are one of the easiest to acquire despite being among the endangered species list of Asia. The Reeves turtle is rectangular shaped and can  grow up to 5". They have three prominent ridges on the caprace and the sides are dome-shaped. These turtles are semi-aquatic and generally spend a lot of time on the land during the youthful age. The hatchlings and older turtles, however, spend more time in the water instead. Being comparatively small in size, these turtles are easy to breed. They have individualized personality and are quite tame once they get to know you and thus, can be a very good pet. They flourish the most when kept in couples and can be quite entertaining. In captivity, an aquarium is a good place to keep the Reeves turtles, however, you should also keep a rock at elevation and provide them with an artificial basking area where they can bask in a reflector clip light. A temperature of 77-86°F is ideal for these turtles and can be maintained with UVB or LED lights. For feeding the Reeves turtle, you will can go for a variety of options like greens, fruits, food pellets designed for turtles, plants, worms, small insects, small fish, chunks of meat. These turtles also feed on aquatic vegetation forms like duckweed. For breeding these turtles, you need to have a cage with a small land area where the female lays 2-3 eggs. These turtles are quite shy and inquisitive at first, so you need to let it get acquainted with the place so that it can warm up and be easy to handle. Thus, having a pet turtle can be a lot of fun, provided you have the proper way to care for these animals and can have a fun time while doing so. Turtles need relatively more care than tortoises but are a fun and energetic pet to have.

Source : articlesbase.com