Many friends who have been raising turtles for a while will have this question: Do turtles really need to be exposed on the terrace? The answer to this question is not absolute. Whether a turtle needs a basking platform or not depends on what kind of turtle you raise. Different species of turtles have different habits. Whether a balcony is needed depends mainly on the living habits of the turtle.

We all know , the main function of the terrace is to bask in the back and rest. Some turtles with poor water quality must bask on the terrace. Even turtles with good water quality still need to bask on the terrace during the seedling stage. Therefore, for some turtles, the terrace is not so much used for resting. It is to prevent drowning.

There are also some turtles that have a very high demand for basking on their backs, such as Brazilian-faced turtles and aquatic turtles. You must have seen countless Brazilian tortoises stacking up on a stone or dead wood in the summer. Because for these turtles, adequate basking can increase body temperature, promote metabolism, and thereby increase calcium absorption. However, many turtle friends have reported that if the balcony is not selected correctly, it will lead to tragedy. Here I will give you two examples of balconies that are not suitable for raising turtles.

First, the structure is complex and there are holes in the sunken wood. This is very easy to get stuck in the turtle, allowing the turtle to move forward and backward underwater without causing choking. It should be noted that don’t think that the hole is safe because the hole is large. We must consider the growth and size of the turtle. As the size of the turtle grows, the seemingly wide hole may become very dangerous. If you really like one with holes, then choose one that is large enough for an adult to move in and out easily. (By the way, the hole must be open at both ends. Don’t buy a dead end for the turtle to drill, otherwise it will be a tragedy.)

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Second, wild-picked stones. This is not to say that stones are bad. In fact, we also use stones for climbing. However, we must consider the size of the stones before using them and try to leave more space for the turtles to move. In addition, a more important point is that stones brought back from the wild must be disinfected. My personal method is to clean the wild-picked stones with a brush and water, then soak them in potassium permanganate solution for about 3 hours, and then expose them to the sun for two days before use. This can effectively prevent unknown bacteria in the wild from causing harm to your turtle, so that if the turtle becomes sick one day, the cause will not be found.

In short, the choice of basking platform should consider the habits of the turtle. Some turtles, such as side-necked turtles, can stay in the water all year round, and the same goes for being able to bask in the sun in the water. For some mud turtles, it is recommended to add a balcony in summer, which can help the turtles develop color.