At our place, we also provided a refuge for four aquatic and two land turtles.

The aquatic turtles were rescued from a small plastic bucket in an office. They had no access to sunlight, not enough water to swim, and nowhere to go to dry  spot and warm up. With veterinary care and suitable living conditions, they quickly recovered. Now they have grown and enjoy swimming in a large aquarium, sunbathing on a wooden dock, and eagerly biting into the offered food, sometimes unintentionally nipping at fingers.

The land turtles live in a large outdoor enclosure, where they have plenty of different plants, bushes, soft soil for hiding and digging. They share the enclosure with guinea pigs, and they often play together. The land turtles are much faster than commonly believed, especially when they spot a juicy treat or an “annoying” guinea pig.