One of the most common diseases affecting terrapins causes their shells to soften. This is due to wrong feeding and the result is that the horny shell of the animal becomes soft and pliable and sinks in at the top. This disease can be treated by giving the animal a varied and plentiful diet with lots of minced meat and vitamins.

Another illness in terrapins causes their eyes to become inflamed. This is often the result of the bottom of the tank being covered in sand instead of gravel or pebbles. As the terrapin swims around it stirs up small clouds of fine sand which go into its eyes and irritate them, sometimes blinding the animal. So always have gravel or pebbles at the bottom of a terrapin’s tank to avoid this danger.

Baby terrapins are far more subject to these illnesses than adult animals. You should remember when buying terrapins that when fully grown they reach a length of between 17 and 20 centimeters.