Planning to have a terrapin?…No problem, just get your cute teeny-weeny terrapin.
Where to get your terrapin?…
Well, you have two options:
- A shop who keeps terrapins; or
- From the Breeders.
1. Pet shop: While buying terrapins from a pet shop/terrapin shop, look for the following few things:
- The shop owners must have good knowledge about reptiles (specially terrapins)
- Never hesitate to question the shop owner; always clear your doubts about the various points of terrapin care
- It is expected that a pet shop owner with proper knowledge have taken proper care of all the terrapins kept in his shop.
- Check that your terrapin looks healthy, active and without any oozing wound.
- Buy the equipments needed for the terrapin before hand, so that you can give your pet terrapin a home away from home.
2. Breeders:
- Visit a trustworthy terrapin breeder for better quality
- Terrapin breeders generally have good knowledge. But before buying one, always check their health.
- Breeders prefer advertisements. Check various newspapers and magazines for advertisements of terrapin sale.
- Terrapins can be purchased online too.
- You may check the parents of the terrapin you want to buy. They should be free of any heritable or contagious diseases. Else your terrapin may also suffer from the same.
- Ask the breeder about various paraphernalia of terrapin petting.
- Learn about various problems you may have to face.
- Contact the breeder before buying your terrapin to find the exact size of the terrapinarium, so that you can keep it ready in advance.
- Ask the terrapin breeder about an experienced vet.
Remember:
- Buy your terrapin during summer. In the colder season they tend to hibernate and become less active.
- Don’t buy a hibernating terrapin or one that just has recovered from hibernation. It takes about 4 to 10 weeks to be fully active.
- Try to count its age by the rings on the shell and the size. But growth depends on the age and the environment it is living in too.
- Keep your terrapin in a perfect and spacious tank with arrangements of filter pump, thermometer, UV light, thermostatic heater and a comfortable basking place.