Simply Pets
757-494-1683
Aquatic Turtles
We are a little.. turtle crazy. We stock more turtles, and more turtle supplies than any other retailer in the area. Maybe the state... we think so, but haven't been everywhere...
​
We keep over a dozen species for sale at any given time, and keep finding more. None of these are native to Virginia, and most are intended for indoor keeping.
​
We buy mostly from smaller, hobby level breeders. People who prefer quality over quantity.
Basking "Pond" Turtles
Examples include : Japanese, European, and Vietnam Pond Turtles. Chinese Golden Thread and Kwangtung River Turtles
All of these species enjoy basking on a floating platform, and stay relatively small. Adult sizes vary from about 6 inches to about 11.
​
Their diets consist of mostly commercial pellets, dried shrimp and worms, and some fresh or frozen food.
Snapping Turtles
Examples : Alligator Snappers, Mata Mata
These get big. Like really big. Like be ready for a monster size tank big. They grow slow, but will keep on growing. In the wild they can be aggressive and dangerous. Most captive raised ones are much calmer. They require warm water, and will bask on occasion, but mostly while small. They eat almost exclusively fresh fish, worms and shrimp. We tong feed ours, and they do quite well.
Sliders and Cooters
Examples we get : Nicaraguan Peacock Sliders, Florida Red Belly Cooters.
These also enjoy basking, but get a little bigger. Average adult size from 8 to 12 inches. Their diets consist of mostly commercial pellets, dried shrimp and worms, and some fresh or frozen food. We also add veggies to their diet, including many live aquatic plants.
Soft shells
Examples : Florida Soft shells, Leopard Soft shells
These get big as well. Up to 24 inches. And they grow fast. They can be a little aggressive, but tend to get calmer as they grow when raised in captivity. They hardly ever come out of the water, and are also carnivorous.
Sideneck Turtles
Examples : Pink Belly, Geoffroys, and New Guinea's. We get many species of side necks, and seem to find more each year. These are unique in the turtle world as they cannot retract their heads in to their shells, so fold them over sideways..
These species tend to be a little more shy, and don't always like to bask out of the water. They prefer a shallow area in their enclosure to bask in. with just barely enough water to stay wet while doing so.
They are more carnivorous in nature, and prefer meaty pellets, shrimp and worms. Some fresh fish on occasion as well.
Turtle Morphs
Examples : Albino Red Ear Slider
Turtle morphs are all projects produced in captivity. There are more coming out each year, in different species. Most morphs are legal to sell even if the wild type of that species is not, like Red Ear Sliders. Their care is the same as the species, but are generally more delicate than their wild cousins. Albinos for example need more shade, as they can burn with too much UVB light, They also tend to be smaller than the normal variants, but not always.
Please feel free to ask us questions in shop. We maintain several pet turtles, of several species. We can show you some of them (some are in shop, some at home). And we are happy to share our experiences with them all.