Whether a turtle are a “sign of good luck” or not really just depends upon the culture, religion or the individual. However it is said in many cultures that turtles are a sign of good luck. They are believed by many to have power over all kinds of bad magic and also symbolize the primal mother and Mother Earth. In addition they have also been said to symbolize longevity and one’s hope and wish for a long life. They are supposedly a link between heaven and earth which made them a natural for use in divination. A few cultures and religions stray away from this train of thought and view the turtle as being bad luck or evil.

Some cultures view the turtle as an ancient symbol that represents order, creation, endurance, strength, stability, longevity, fertility, and a gentle innocence, these creatures are said to offer protection, good fortune and have the power to bring forth happiness and good omens.

The turtle is one of four of the Chinese sacred animals (the other three of the four being the dragon, the phoenix, and the unicorn). The turtle is a creature of two elements; land and sea, as such these creatures reflect an ability to adapt and flourish in many different environments. In Asian myth, the turtle represents universal order and is thought to have created the universe from its body: its shell is symbolic of the heavens while its body is symbolic of the earth and its under shell is said to represent the underworld.

In American Indian cultures, turtles are said to represent the wisdom of the ancient ones and are often highly respected for their strength and individuality. Those who bear the symbol of the turtle can carry the responsibility of caring for, protecting and nurturing others. These creatures are also considered to be the oldest, most sacred symbol of the Anishinabe and Haudenosaunee people who believed that North America was created on the back of the turtle. To this day, most indigenous people still often refer to North America as “Turtle Island”.

In the Hindu religion, turtles are considered to be the second carnation of the powerful God Vishnu. Legends go on to say that after a great flood, which occurs every four billion years and dissolves the earth, the God Vishnu transforms himself into a great Turtle. The turtle carries a vessel on his back, in which the Gods and demons mix the elements necessary to re-create the globe. After a thousand years, when the earth has been reborn, the great Turtle remains in place, and on his back now stands a large elephant that supports the planet. Turtles have also been said to be symbols of immortality and are considered temporary dwelling places for souls that are making their way through a series of lives that are on the path to Nirvana.

In the West, early Christians did not like turtles at all and even went as far to view them as symbolizing evil forces during war. In Greece, turtles were once believed to be the citizens of hell.

There have been Japanese fairytales that tell of a man who goes by the name of Urashima. This man was said to protect a turtle from some boys who were bothering it. As a reward, Urashima (the man) is taken by the turtle to meet the King of the Ocean, where he then gets to marry the King’s beautiful water sprite daughter.

In places like Nigeria, the turtle is a symbol of the female sex organs and represents sexuality.

In any case it is plain to see that the majority of cultures and religions view turtles as a good thing, so in order for individuals to avoid some bad karma it might be best to try and keep turtle’s out of harm’s way. Whether or not you personally want to believe that they are good luck, or anything else for that matter is really up to you. You are able to form your own opinion on the matter.

Whether or not a turtle is a carnivore, a herbivore, or an omnivore really depends on the particular species. For instance, tortoises are almost always exclusively herbivores. Their diets usually consist 100% of plant origin. Most aquatic turtles are carnivores. (However this still depends on the species of aquatic turtle) and requires a diet that contains anywhere from 65 to 90% meat. The remaining 10 to 35% is vegetable based. Semi aquatic turtles are usually mostly omnivores and their nutritional requirements are usually best met with a diet that is 50% meat and 50% vegetable. Depending on the species these percentages may vary.

Since a turtle’s diet depends on its species it is important to know what kind of species your turtle is and then adjust its diet based off of this. It is also essential that you know what your turtle’s individual nutrional needs are so that they can be properly met. This can be done by learning what your turtle’s normal diet would consist of in the wild, and then by tailoring it to more closely similate a diet in captivity that is closer to that of their natural diet.

For turtles that require a herbivore diet mixed green leaf vegetables should be fed 90% of the time and more. A few things that one can incorporate into this diet include:

• Dandelions
• Cabbage
• Kale
• Clover leaves
• Parsley
• Carrot tops
• Lettuce
• Coarse mixed grasses
• Flower heads
• Natural fodder plants

They should also eat fruit and vegetables for a percentage of 10% or less. The following can be incorporated into a herbivore diet to meet this requirements:

• Tomato
• Mango
• Cauliflower
• Apple
• Pineapple
• Melon (red, orange and white)
• Pear
• Red and green sweet peppers
• Zucchini
• Cucumber

Furthermore, fruit should be used sparingly, because over consumption can lead to high levels of sugar building up in the gut (intestintes) and result in illness.

For a turtle with a carnivorous diet, the following requirements should be met, Meat component (65-95%) and can include the following:

• Live feeder fish
• Frozen pinkie mice
• Snails
• Mollusks
• Earthworms
• Rehydrated cat food
• Dried commercial trout pellets
• Small quantity of low-fat canned dog food (less than 5% of total intake)

Incorporating vegetables into this diet is dependant upon the species and is approximately 35% or less depending on the species) The following can be used:

• Romaine lettuce
• Clover
• Grated carrot
• Small quantity of fruit or other items listed in the herbivore diet

A turtle with an omnivorous diet should meet requirements with vegetable and fruit components meeting 50% intake. The following can be fed to a turtle that is an omnivore:

• Strawberries
• Various berries
• Grated carrot
• Dandelion greens
• Romaine lettuce
• Red lettuce
• Flower heads
• Cauliflower
• Plums
• Small quantities of green cabbage
• Small quantities of kale leaf
• Sow thistle
• Beets
• Wax beans
• Green beans
• Sweet potatoes
• Carrots
• Okra
• Green peas
• Rose
• Dandelion
• Pansies
• Lilies
• Carnations
• Hibiscus
• Pumpkin
• Kiwi
• Banana
• Figs

The meat component should also meet a 50% intake requirement and can include the following food sources:

• Live crickets
• Small land snails
• Slugs
• Rehydrated dried cat pellets
• Trout pellets
• Low-fat canned dog food (less than 5% of total intake)
• Shrimp
• Silkworms

Avoid using raw meats due to the danger of contamination, as well as fatty meats like hamburgers.

Each of these diets should always consist of fresh food and supplemented with a good vitamin-calcium supplement approved for use in turtles and/or tortoises. Clean, fresh water and a stress free environment are also critical to ensure proper feeding habits and adequate consumption. Different species of turtles and tortoises will demonstrate different preferences for certain foods. However, the habit of rotating and varying their diet as much as possible is key to avoid monotony and unbalanced nutrition within their diets.

The natural habitat of each species of turtles is what helps determine its diet as well as other facets of its care. Map turtles prefer to eat only meat, while river cooters prefer plant based sources of food. Box turtles hould eat lots of plants with only a small amount of meat, while the American box turtle is an omnivore that consumes just about anything. The red eared slider starts its life off by feasting upon worms and then later turns into an omnivore as it matures.

One of the best ways to ensure that your turtle stays healthy and happy is to feed it its natural diet as much as possible. Turtles in their natural habitat are used to eating a wide variety of things and the food sources depend upon the season, as well as its availability. Variety is the key to feeding your turtle and ensuring the best health.

Minerals such as Vitamin D3, phosphorous, and calcium are very important as well when it comes to the health of your turtle. While turtles usually get enough phosphourous since most of the food that they consume contains it, it is their calcium that you really need to pay close attention to. Crushed oyster shells, or eggshells that are boiled and crushed, plaster block as well as cuttlebone are all great sources of calcium for your turtle.

However it should be noted that merely providing enough calcium is not sufficient. Dietary calcium cannot be utilized properly if vitamin D3 is absent. This vitamin is produced within the turtle’s body if it is exposed to direct sunlight or any good reptile light. Or, they can be given the vitamin in their diet by using a supplement.

Certain foods can also block calcium from being absorbed because they contain high amounts of oxalic acid, thus care must be taken so that you do not allow your turtle to eat too many of these. Although, being natural vermifues, they can be somewhat beneficial. Certain foods like cabbage have what is known as goitrogens, and these can cause deficiency in iodine if too much of them are given to your turtle. Feeding your turtle with cuttlebone can usually help overcome this problem, since it contains traces of iodine.

Going easy on the protein when it comes to feeding your turtle is also a crucial step in properly caring for your turtle. This is because too much protein in a turtle’s diet can cause stress on the kidneys and it is though to cause deformities such as pyramiding in the turtle’s shell. Therefore, it is advised to not feed your turtle foods that are high in protein such as dog food, cat food, or meats that humans eat. When protein is fed sparingly along with a healthy, varied diet, it does not necessarily cause any harm to the turtle, but it should never be fed as a staple within a turtle’s diet. In fact, it is recommended to feed your turtle as wide a variety of food as possible, without overusing any single type of food. Also note, that plants provide protein, so getting enough protein into a turtle’s diet is not really that difficult, and this should be monitored closely so that they do not consume too much protein.

Now that you know what types of food your turtle should eat, it is also important to know what your turtle should not eat Here are a list of foods that turtles should not eat:

• Milk products (milk, cheese, etc.)- They cannot be digested by reptiles because they lack the enzymes required for breaking down lactose.
• Processed and/or canned foods-These are usually high in preservatives and salt, and the effects it could have on the turtle are still not fully known. It is advisable not to feed your turtle these foods, however if you must feed them this type of food for whatever reason, it should always be fed in limited amounts and on rare occasions.
• Some plants-Even though turtles have been known sometimes to eat poisonous plants in their natural habits, the specifics of this feeding habit are not particularly well known so to be on the safe side it is recommended that poisonous plants such as avocado plants, rhubarb plants, and poison ivy all be kept far away from the turtle and never used in their diet for any reason.

It is important to know what kind of turtle you own, and what they should and should not be eating. Feeding a turtle the wrong kinds of food can make it sick or even result in death if one is not careful.

Turtles are born with a shell, although in the first days after hatching their shell is usually a lot softer because their bones are not calcified all the way yet. Once fully grown however, turtles and/or tortoises have hard, protective shells that are made up of 59 to 61 bones that are covered by plates called scutes.

Scutes are made of keratin, the primary substance that is found in hair, nails and hooves of other animals, but the turtle’s shell is part of its skeleton. Similar to bones, these plates grow along with them as they continue to age.

There is a great difference in the protection that a turtle’s shell provides depending on the breed. Some turtles such as the American and Asian box turtles are equipped with a hinge on the lower shell that allows them to go inside of their shells and then close up the front and rear openings.

The American mud and musk turtles also have hinges, but theirs do not completely close up. Aquatic turtles such as the cooters, sliders, map and painted turtles have large protective shells, but do not possess hinges. Their flesh is exposed, front and rear, and even when the turtles are completely tucked in.

Snapping turtles are not protected very well by their shells. The lower shell in particular is tiny and does not even begin to cover the animal. These creatures are shy and naturally not inclined to look for trouble, however if threatened they will put up a fierce fight and can cause some damage.

Softshell turtles have leathery shells with a type of thick skin rather than the hard scutes that other turtles have. They mostly stay hidden in water most of the time and use camouflage for protection against predators. They are also very quick to bite if necessary as a way to protect themselves.

A turtle’s outer shell is similar to that of a human’s fingernails, as it is made up of a thin layer of keratin. However contrary to what some believe, underneath the layer, there is a layer of bony plates (scutes) that give the shell its shape. The ribs and backbone (vertebrate) are a part of this shell too. So removing this shell would in turn remove part of the skeleton of the turtle. What this means is that a turtle cannot take off its shell.

Contrary to what some people may believe, turtles are able to see in the dark. However, they are not able to see much better than we humans can. Nocturnal animals and reptiles such as geckos, cats and owls are more likely to be better adapted to see better in the dark. Most turtles and humans are diurnal creatures and most active during the day which means that we are all more adapted to see when the sun is there to help illuminate everything.

Turtles have color vision with many cone subtypes with sensitivities ranging from the near ultraviolet to red. Most turtles that spend most of their lives on land have their eyes looking down at objects in front of them. Some aquatic turtles such as the snapping turtle or soft shelled turtles have eyes closer to the top of their head. These species can hide from predators in shallow water where they have been known to lie entirely submerged except for their eyes and nostrils. Sea turtles possess glands in their eyes that produce salty tears that help rid their body of excess salt that is taken from the water that they drink.

Turtles are reptiles, not amphibians. People often mistake them for amphibians due to the misunderstanding about the term amphibian. The word amphibian refers specifically to members of the class amphibia, but the word amphibious that comes from the same root means “operating or living on land and in water.” It is true that many turtles are amphibious, but none are actually amphibians.

A few rules for being able to tell if something is an amphibian or a reptile are as follows:

• Reptiles have scales, whether they are large, small, rough, smooth, etc. This protective layer helps them conserve water and has also allowed them to spread across land in a way that amphibians are incapable of.
• Amphibians have smooth, soft skin that is incredibly porous and must hold moisture to help them breathe. Due to this, they must always stay close to a water source so their skin does not dry out.
• Reptiles have claws or nails, amphibians do not.
• Reptiles only breathe air through their lungs.
• Amphibians are born breathing with gills until they develop lungs later in life when they are older.
• Reptiles lay eggs that have a tough, leathery shell.
• Amphibian’s eggs are soft and need to be laid in water or in damp places.

Since turtles have been on earth for more than 200 million years, A lot is known about these creatures. Most turtles usually live for several decades and can potentially even outlive human beings. Sea turtles are known to have even longer life spans and can live to be a few hundred years old. They are also the longest living animals on earth. While, scientists estimate that other species such as the painted turtle can often only live up to 40 years in the wild, but in captivity they do not live nearly as long.