Choosing a pet turtle for the first time is always an exciting experience but there are few things any potential turtle owner should look for to make sure that they will be caring for an already healthy pet turtle. You should always take the time to look for signs of a turtle with poor health so as to avoid the difficulty of trying to keep them alive especially when this is your first pet turtle.
These are the three most important indicators of an unwell turtle which once you know will help you make a better judgement on choosing your ideal pet.
1)Look for signs of a poor nutrition.
If the eyes of the turtle is not clear and bright or the turtles eyes are pasted shut this is a sign of poor nutrition and is a problem you as a turtle owner won’t want to have, so avoid these kind of turtles when trying to select your ideal pet turtle.
2)Check for any respiratory problems.
A good way to determine this is to look at the turtles mouth and nose. If there are fluid bubbles or dripping coming from the nose or if there is any wheezing while the turtle breathes then it is very likely that they have a respiratory infection and you should not take on caring for such a turtle as a pet. Without the right kind of care the chances of a turtle with these symptoms living a long life is very slim.
3)Take a close look at the turtles shell.
Carefully examine the turtles shell and skin, look for any patches and parts where the scutes or scales are missing or possibly wrinkled. If you see anything like this it is often a sure fire sign that the turtle might have had a burn or scar injury. An injury to the scutes of a turtle can easily become infected and sometimes will progress into something life threatening for the turtle. A turtles shell should always be hard and solid, if the shell moves when you press down on it or feels very thin then it is very likely that this turtle has had a poor diet which has prevented them from develping a strong shell.In order to help the turtle develope a stronger shell a professional or experienced turtle owner may be needed.