musicbethefruitoflove asked:
We are thinking of getting a new pet and it looks like we are planning on a turtle. Do any of you have any suggestions for a family that’s never had turtles?
17 Responses to 'What kind of turtles make good pets?'
Leave a Reply
Resources
Subscribe 
Pages
Admin
Pages
Admin
Blog Categories
Monthly Archives
By Month
- December 2011 (9)
- November 2011 (12)
- October 2011 (16)
- September 2011 (11)
- August 2011 (15)
- July 2011 (10)
- June 2011 (14)
- May 2011 (12)
- April 2011 (11)
- March 2011 (13)
- February 2011 (13)
- January 2011 (9)
- December 2010 (6)
- November 2010 (13)
- October 2010 (14)
- September 2010 (8)
- August 2010 (7)
- July 2010 (7)
- June 2010 (9)
- May 2010 (14)
- April 2010 (8)
- March 2010 (12)
- February 2010 (15)
- January 2010 (17)
- December 2009 (14)
- November 2009 (9)
- October 2009 (11)
- September 2009 (8)
- August 2009 (14)
- July 2009 (19)
None. Get a dog
Snapping turtles. They bite.
red eared sliders. easy and friendly! very popular among kids too. either that or a painted turtle, which are a bit bigger.
I LIKE TURTLES!!
snapping haha
box turtles are good.
I like the small green ones.
turtles arent very active, but i wood sugest a tortoise type thing
I would recommend a Box Turtle.
Don’t get a snapping turtle- they’re not as tame as dogs and don’t learn to recognize the owner that feeds them. I’ve had experience- no matter how nice you be to him, he will bite you if you make one tiny thing uncomfortable to him. Good luck!
Oh god they’re horrible! I had one once and you have to clean their **** every day or it makes the room stink to high heaven, and then you will argue with your brothers and sisters who should have it in their room.
They stink!
Maybe if you get a dry one, like a desert type of turtle, it will be different, but if you get the ones I had (red eared sliders), welcome to the wonderful world of poo.
these:
answer mine plz:
Well I have a sulcata tortoise and I love her. Very low maintenance and they dont bite. you would love them.
well sure as hell not snapping turtles…find a species that’s really calm and nice….maybe a box turtle….
My suggestion for someone who has Never had a turtle is to READ absolutely everything you can get your hands on before you decide on this.
Some things you should know.
1) turtles will learn to recognize you, but will Never Be cuddly, lap sitting pets.
2) a turtle is a LIFE LONG commitment for you and your children. Most species live 30 years or longer. 100 years or more is not uncommon.
3) The cost of the turtle is not the worst thing. The set up to properly care for a turtle can run to the thousands of dollars. The small 4 inch turtle you bring home from the store is Not going to stay that way. Research Any Species you think about taking home. Just like you would before you buy a new car.. your going to have the turtle MUCH longer then the car. Many have very specific needs for lighting, heat, water, space, and feeding.
4) Be careful of where you get your new pet. Wild caught turtles do not do well for the majority of people
5) you need to be sure there is a good, knowledgeable Herp vet in your area. Not every vet can handle a turtle.
6) if you move, some states have laws on what species can be owned or possessed. your pet in new york, may be illegal in Pennsylvania. I will not be moving to California. I own snapping turtles and they are illegal state wide there.
and…finally.. I’ll direct you to one of my favorite turtle sites.. Austins Turtle Pages…. that’s a page he wrote on how to decide what beginner turtle species you should think about..
I personally love my turtles as pets, but I know they are simply not the pet for everyone.
Get small turtles! Usually one or two are fine. They’re not that hard to take care of so there’s not much to worry about. Make sure the water isn’t too warm or cold. Clean the water about every 1-2 weeks and make sure it has enough living/ swimming space. Be mindful about how much you feed too.
Hope this was helpful!
The kind of turtle that is most common in homes are red ear sliders. they are very friendly and kind once they get to know you. here are some information on taking care of it:
Red eared sliders are semi aquatic turtles that are very commonly kept as pets. Unfortunately, lack of understanding what they require means that many red eared sliders have died from improper care. While they are not overly demanding as pets, many unsuspecting owners have been told that it was fine to keep them in small plastic bowls. Needless to say this housing is completely inadequate and impractical – turtle owners need to invest a fair amount in the proper equipment to house red eared sliders. With proper care these turtles can live several decades, so turtle ownership is not a commitment to be taken lightly.
A full grown red eared slider can reach 12 inches in length (measured as the carapace, or top shell, length). Males tend to be smaller than females, but have large claws on the front legs and longer tails than females.
In the US, sale of red eared sliders under 4 inches in length have been banned since the 1970s. The ban was a result of the prevalence of Salmonella infections linked to pet turtles. Baby turtles were very popular as pets for small children, mostly because a lot of people did not realize the cute tiny turtles sold in pet stores could carry Salmonella or that they could grow so large.
Diet
Red eared sliders are omnivores, meaning they eat a mixture of animal and plant material. Younger turtles are more carnivorous (eat more animal protein) than adults, though. Juveniles should be fed daily, but adults can be fed every 2-3 days.
Turtles can be fed a mixture of prepared commercial food and fresh food. Special food formulated for turtles can be used, but this should only make up about 25% of the total diet. The proportions of fresh supplements will depend on the age of the turtle, but can include live feeder fish, earthworms, crickets, waxworms, bloodworms, aquatic snails, fresh greens (collard, mustard and dandelion greens, and dark leafy lettuces but never head lettuce), aquatic plants, and shredded vegetables. For more detail, see “What Should I Feed my Red Eared Slider?”
Vitamins and Minerals
A good quality complete reptile vitamin and mineral supplement should be added to the food once or twice a week. In addition, extra calcium can be provided by giving turtles a cuttlebone (break into pieces and float in the water) or calcium block to nibble on.
Boy or Girl?
The length of the claws is the primary way to tell the difference between males and females, as they are much longer in males. See Sexing Red Eared Sliders for other details that can help you tell the difference. The differences are not marked until they read sexual maturity, though.