How to Take Care of Turtles and Tortoises By Adrienne Kruzer Adrienne Kruzer Adrienne Kruzer is a veterinary technician with more than 15 years of experience providing healthcare to domestic and exotic animals. She is trained as a Fear Free Certified Professional to prevent and alleviate fear, anxiety, and stress in pets. Learn more about The Spruce Pets' Editorial Process Updated on 07/30/25 Credit: Capelle.r / Getty Images Key Takeaways Turtles and tortoises require specific environmental conditions, such as appropriate heat, lighting, and enclosure setup.Aquatic and land-dwelling turtles have different habitat requirements, which should be carefully tailored to their species.Tortoises are long-lived and require substantial commitment, including proper diet and housing that meets their size needs. Many kinds of turtles are kept as pets. Some live on land, some are aquatic, and others split their time between the two. If you're considering getting a sulcata tortoise, box turtle, painted turtle, red-eared slider, or another type, ensure you can meet all their needs. All turtles require specific lighting, heat, food, hiding spots, and a secure enclosure. 01 of 07 Heat and Lighting for Turtles Credit: Takei Wataru / EyeEm / Getty Images Turtles are reptiles, like lizards and snakes, and need supplemental heat to regulate their body temperature. They also require invisible UVB rays to metabolize nutrients like calcium. Depending on the turtle type, you might need special heat lamps, under-tank heaters, water heaters, ceramic heat emitters, and UVB bulbs for indoor environments. 02 of 07 Aquatic Turtle Care Credit: Doxieone Photography / Getty Images Water turtles, also referred to as aquatic turtles, are turtles that spend the majority, if not all, of their time in water. These turtles live like fish do most of the time and therefore have special water requirements in addition to the other needs of a turtle. Red-eared sliders, African side-neck turtles, yellow-bellied sliders, painted turtles, mud turtles, diamondback terrapins, softshell turtles, map turtles, Asian leaf turtles, and even Palawan forest turtles are all examples of aquatic turtles. 03 of 07 Housing Aquatic Turtles in an Outdoor Pond Credit: Bob Stefko / Getty Images Some house their aquatic turtles in natural settings like outdoor ponds. This is feasible in warm climates or colder areas during summer. Heat and lighting care requirements simplify in warm, sunny months. 04 of 07 Box Turtle Care Credit: Novastock / Getty Images Box turtles are named for their boxy shape and live on land. They're small with care needs differing from aquatic turtles. Proper care, though challenging, can extend their life to 50 years. Examples include Eastern box turtles, Gulf coast box turtles, ornate box turtles, three-toed box turtles, and Asian box turtles. Continue to 5 of 7 below 05 of 07 Housing Box Turtles in an Outdoor Pen Credit: Photo © Rebecca Speakes Box turtles can live outdoors in a safe, secure pen. It must prevent predators and offer shade. Considerations include sunken fencing, an enclosure cover, a watering hole, and hiding spots. 06 of 07 Tortoise Care Credit: Panoramic Images / Getty Images Tortoises often outlive other shelled pets, meaning special care is necessary, as they may even outlive their owners. Consider dietary needs, cleanup, and enclosures before acquiring a tortoise. Common pet tortoises include leopard tortoises, Hermann's tortoises, Russian tortoises, red-footed tortoises, sulcata tortoises, Greek tortoises, hingeback tortoises, star tortoises, and radiated tortoises. 07 of 07 Housing Tortoises Indoors Credit: Leong Thian Fu / EyeEm / GettyImages If outdoor housing is infeasible, a tortoise needs an indoor enclosure. Large tortoises might require custom-built spaces or dedicated rooms. Some owners use indoor and outdoor tortoise enclosures seasonally. Explore more: Reptiles & Amphibians Tortoises