The Joy of Pixel's Turtle Love - #ReptileCare with petMD

This post is sponsored by petMD Reptile Center, and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Reptile Ownership, but "Pixel Blue Eyes: Her Tails of Adventure" blog only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. petM D ®  and PetSmart ®  are not responsible for the content of this article.  

My Mommy has been a dog lover her entire life, but did you know that she and I have also been turtle lovers? Oh yes, it's true. Before Mommy had me, she had box turtles (as well as dogs too) and she absolutely loved them! Eastern Box Turtles to be exact. And they were beautiful!

She had 4 box turtles over the years, two boys named Henry and Guy, and two girls named Harriet and Lucky. She took the time to learn all she could about box turtles so she could be the best Mom ever and provide all the care they needed.
At the time there was not a whole lot of resources for great #ReptileCare, so she learned on her own or found the occasional turtle forum online.

Today there is a great resource, thanks to the new #ReptileCare Center on the petMD® website. What sets them apart is that all of their content is either Veterinarian written or vet approved for accuracy and factual information. They are continually expanding the information and articles on the site. The pedMD Reptile Care Center has all kinds of interesting and helpful articles about things I never would have known about including reptile obesity, gastrointestinal issues in reptiles, and even something called star gazer syndrome. It's really fascinating stuff!

When Mommy had her turtles, she was with them all the time, and really bonded with each one. She built a large indoor terrarium with plexiglass for them and an outdoor habitat for them as well. She bought them mealworms and got them LOTS of earthworms. Mommy would then let her box turtles "hunt" the worms in the dirt, which they LOVED to do. She provided them with all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables to eat, which Mommy said was especially fun to watch them eat. Their favorites were strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, bananas, and watermelon.

 Turtles love to go exploring, just like people and pets, so Mommy took her box turtles camping up in the mountains with her, so they could enjoy it too! She found that her turtles love to climb trees, which she found very interesting. Her littlest one, Harriet, was the best and most avid climber. She really had to watch Harriet like a hawk because she could get 2-3 feet up an angled tree in no time! It was a curious thing that, to this day, Mommy has no idea why they did it!
Mommy said that through her years of caring for her beloved box turtles, she discovered that turtles and dogs shared some interesting similarities...
Interesting Similarities Between Dogs and Turtles that Mommy Discovered:

• Turtles have unique, individual personalities. Just like dogs.
• Turtles need a balanced diet. Just like dogs.
• Turtles need Veterinary Care. Just like dogs.
• Turtles need fresh water available to drink at all times, separate from their drinking water. Just like dogs.
• Turtles love eating certain fruits and vegetables. Just like dogs. 
• Turtles like to have their neck gently rubbed. Just like dogs.
• Turtles can bond with their owners. That's right...in their own way, yet just like dogs.
  Read "Can Your Reptile Bond with You?" on pedMD.

Other Interesting Turtle Facts:

• Turtles can both hear and communicate.
• Turtles have thin flaps of skin covering internal ear bones. The skin flaps allow vibrations and low-frequency sounds in the ear canal.
• Water turtles generally live to about 30-40 years; box turtles (and tortoises) live an average of about 50-100 years.
• According to the American Pet Products Association, Turtles are the #1 reptile pet.
• Box turtle males have orange eyes and a slight concave to the bottom belly shell.
  Females have brown eyes and a flat belly shell.

There are a lot of great articles on the petMD® website that are very helpful, informative and even just entertaining. There's a great infographic about "Choosing a Reptile" that you'll really enjoy if you are interested in different reptiles and want to learn more.

Here are some good rules to follow when you handle a turtle, either your new pet or someone else's:

• Always wash your hands both before and after you touch the turtle. Turtles carry salmonella which can make you extremely ill. 
• Remember that turtles have a beak, they can be moody and they might snap at you. So be wary of where your hands are in regards to their mouth.

Reptile ownership is so much fun, especially if you have the right information, the right tools, and the right mindset. To help you find everything you need to get started, Petsmart® is having a Huge Reptile Mega Month with sales on all kinds of Reptile Care items. They have everything you need, including the live reptiles to start loving! 

So maybe you'll become a turtle lover too...or a gecko, or other reptile lover.
Who knows....reptiles and dogs make great friends!

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Do you have a reptile already? Are you wanting to get one? I'd love to hear about it! Tell me your story in a comment my friend!