As turtles become more popular pets today, Painted Turtles are among the most popular. They are beautiful turtles that get their name from the yellow and red stripes that cover their bodies. They are also smaller, averaging only 4 to 10 inches (10 to 25 cm( long. This makes them ideal pets.As far as housing goes, a painted turtle will need a 20-40 gallon (75-150 liter) tank as a juvenile, but will need an 80 gallon (300 liter) tank when full grown. The tank needs to be filled with enough water for the Painted Turtle to be able to swim around in, usually from 6-8 inches (15-20 cm).
In addition to needing water to swim around in, Painted Turtles also need to be able to get out of the water and sun themselves. This means that you must also have a heat lamp for them to sit under. Painted Turtles are reptiles which means they are cold-blooded and therefore not able to regulate their own body temperatures.
There are several different things that you can use to give your Painted Turtle the space he or she needs to get out of the water sometimes and sun him or herself. You can buy specially made “docks” that are sold in most pet stores, and you can also find your own. You can use old wood or even bricks or rocks. So long as there is sufficient space for the turtle to sun him or herself and the turtle can easily climb onto it, it will work.
Turtles are omnivores. They eat both plants and other animals. When they are younger, they require a lot more protein as they grow, so they eat mostly meat. That means that you will have to provide plenty of meat for them. You can give them small amounts of cooked chicken, fish, or egg, and you can also give them live insects such as mealworms or crickets which you can buy from your local pet store.
As turtles get older, they begin to eat a bigger variety of foods, and begin to need more plants in their diet. They need a lot of leafy vegetables, such as grape leaves, kale, or dandelion leaves. They can also eat different types of vegetables such as shredded carrots, green beans, and even corn. In the wild, painted turtles will eat nearly anything they can get their mouths on, so be sure to provide them with a big variety of foods to eat.