How to know if your turtle is happy?
It’s one of those questions that don’t have a clear answer. As turtle owners, we love our pets and we do everything we can to make them happy. But how can we know if they are happy?
Turtles, for sure, are not dogs, cats, or any other animal that can show affection. Or any signs of dissatisfaction. How can we be sure that our care is enough? How can we be sure that our turtles live happy and good lives?
Turtles don’t show affection like other pets, however, we can still detect if they are happy or not.
In this article, we’ll show you what signs you need to look for, to make sure your turtle is happy. In short…
How to know if your turtle is happy? A healthy turtle is a happy turtle. Turtles that bask, are active, like to hunt, and always begging for food are happy turtles.
How to know if your turtle loves you?
Not all animals show affection towards humans. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t happy. Or that they don’t enjoy the care they get from you. Simply, they are just different types of animals.
For example, dogs clearly show affection towards people. Everybody can make a difference between a happy and an unhappy dog. But when it comes to turtles, it’s a little more complicated than that.
Beginner turtle owners are often confused, and they don’t know what to do regarding this problem. What if I tell you that it’s quite easy to tell if a turtle is happy or not. I keep three red-eared sliders, so I guess I know a little bit about keeping turtles.
Based on my experience, there are several signs that show your turtle is happy. This is only my experience, however, I am sure, more or less, it is the same with other turtle keepers.
Before you search for these signs, you need to observe your turtle for a while, to get an overall idea of what’s the normal routine of your pet.
Begging For Food
A healthy and happy turtle will always beg for food. Whenever I pass by my turtle tank, my turtles immediately get excited.
They assume that I’ll give them food. Happy turtles are just like puppies. Always acting overexcited and eager for more food. I am always tempted to give them more food even though they are done with food for the day.
If your turtle act like that, be sure that it is happy. If not, you need to examine the situation. Not every turtle get used to their owners. Especially when they are juveniles.
However, in time, they should get used to you and your presence. If they are not begging for food, they might have health problems. Consult with a veterinarian if your turtle refuses to eat, and show no signs of activity.
Hunting For Food
Turtles love live food. They love to chase it all across the tank. If you put a fish in your turtle tank, or any other live food, you’ll see how your turtle tries to hunt it down. That’s a sign of a healthy and happy turtle. If your turtle act passively, it might have some health-related issues.
Basking
All aquatic turtles love to bask. It’s a natural behavior that helps them regulate their body temperature. If your turtle doesn’t bask at all, and it’s always in the water, it’s a sign of an unhappy turtle. Observe your turtle for a while, and if this situation continues, start looking for reasons for that behavior
Final Thoughts
Keeping your turtle happy shouldn’t be a hard task. All turtles need to be happy are great living conditions.
What are great living conditions you might ask? Keep your turtle in an appropriate tank size. Make sure it always has clean water. Feed it with good quality and diverse food.
Make sure it has a basking spot, UVB light, a heat lamp, and stable temperature in the water. If you provide those conditions, I’ve no doubt, your turtle will be happy, active, and will live a long and comfortable life.
