Heat and water are crucial to making sure your turtle or tortoise survives

Many people in Hong Kong don't want a little meowing kitten or barking puppy. Some have opted to take care of a turtle which is relatively easy to look after.

'They are very calm animals, and reptiles in general are amazing because they have adapted since the dinosaur age,' says veterinarian Nicole Wyre at Tai Wai Small Animal and Exotic Hospital. 'They have survived while other species have become extinct.'

On deciding whether to get a turtle or a tortoise, Wyre says the difference depends on whether you are talking to an American or British speaker. According to American English, she says, there are three main categories in the Testudine order, more commonly referred to as the Chelonia superorder. One category of tortoises live exclusively on land; the second are basking turtles that spend their lives in fresh water, but also bask on dry land; and the third are sea turtles that spend their lives in salt water, but lay their eggs on land.

The confusion starts with a Diamondback terrapin, which lives in brackish water. In British English, they are called terrapins, or ones that live in fresh water.

To set up basking turtles, the most common species in Hong Kong is the red-eared slider, they need to live on land and have access to a large pool of water. 'Your turtle will not survive very long without access to fresh, clean water,' Wyre explains. 'These animals need large tanks ... They need deep water, so they can swim, not to just cover their shell, and they need a basking area that is equipped with ultraviolet light and heat lights. These are essential as you need to recreate the sun in your house.'

She adds without both sets of lights, your basking turtle will not grow. Other necessary features include a hiding place, two thermometers, one in the water and one in the basking area, and a water filter that is out of the tank. 'As your turtle grows, you will need to get larger and larger tanks, so they can swim and bask properly,' Wyre says. And if you have a female basking turtle, owners need to set up a special area for her to dig and lay her eggs when the time comes.