The turtle is a fascinating creature, known for its slow movement and the home it carries on its back. These animals have been prized as pets for ages, but a great many people stumble into turtle ownership without realizing what they’re getting into. If you’re one of those people, or if you’re considering a turtle as a pet and you need more information before you buy one, then this is definitely the right place for you. There is a great deal to know in order to properly keep a turtle.
Where can I find a turtle or tortoise to buy?
Most pet stores, including the big chains such as PetsMart and Petco, will carry the most common turtle, the Red Eared Slider. Smaller boutique stores may also offer other species, though they may not have any to offer, depending on local laws. If you know what species of turtle or tortoise you want, you can look for a breeder, either located near you or via the internet. Check with local reptile (herpetological, or herp) hobby and enthusiast clubs to find good breeders. You can also find out about herp shows coming to your area through the clubs. There is usually a good variety of turtle and tortoise species for sale at these shows and expos.
What kind of chelonian should I get?
With so many species to choose from, deciding what turtle or tortoise is right for you can be difficult. You can find information on dozens of chelonians, including size, habitat and feeding requirements, later in this article That information will help you pick out just the right animal, but here are the most basic questions to ask yourself to narrow down the choices a bit:
• Do you want an animal that lives primarily on land or in the water?
• Do you want an indoor or outdoor pet?
• How much room do you have? Many species grow surprisingly large, and even small tortoises cover a lot of ground in their slow-moving way.
Are turtles good pets for kids?
Turtles and tortoises are not the ideal pets for a child, and there are many reasons why. First is the salmonella issue. Children are not the greatest hand washers in the world. With younger children, especially, you would need to supervise every physical contact between child and animal, enforcing good washing of hands afterwards.
Children can be deadly to chelonians. It’s difficult for a child to have a pet they cannot pick up, hold, squeeze, and love. Grabbing a pet turtle or tortoise to hug it can easily result in the animal being stressed, the animal biting or scratching the child, and the animal being dropped or thrown. Constant supervision is necessary when allowing a child access to a chelonian.
Also, there is too much daily maintenance to expect a child to care for the turtle or tortoise properly by themselves. With a cat, the child can feed it once a day and clean the litter box a couple of times a week and the cat will be content.
Chelonians require attention every day, and water-loving species need serious, frequent habitat cleaning. Children can certainly help accomplish the chores associated with a turtle or tortoise, but they cannot be entirely responsible for it, nor can they be expected to do it alone unless they are older teenagers.
So, are you still interested in getting a turtle or tortoise? Or do you already have one, and you’re just trying to get to the parts of the article that will teach you how to properly care for your pet? Let’s forge ahead and look at habitats for both turtles and tortoises.
Habitats
One of the many decisions you’ll make when deciding to get a chelonian as a pet is whether you want a land-based or water-based pet. This is a huge decision, not only because it narrows down your list of species to choose from, it also determines what sort of setup you’re going to have to buy or create.
We’ll go into specific needs for each species later in the post, but for now, let’s look at basic setups, to give you an overview of what turtles and tortoises require.
Turtles
This is a good place to mention that almost all male turtles are smaller than the female of their species, which means buying a male will result in smaller habitat requirements.
If you’re going to keep your turtle indoors, you’ll need a large container. Glass and acrylic aquariums work fine, though large Rubbermaid-type containers can work for some species. Stock tanks used to provide water for livestock work very well, though you can’t see through the sides.
Indoor Living
You may want to start with a smaller tank, especially if you’re getting a hatchling or juvenile animal, but keep in mind that as the turtle grows you will have to buy bigger setups, including new lighting and filtration systems. It is often less expensive in the long run to buy the proper tank for the adult size of your turtle to begin with. For example, you may start with a 20 gallon aquarium for your female Red Belly Cooter, but end up needing a 125 gallon tank by the time she reaches adult size. Rather than graduating from 20 gallons to 55, then to 75, then to 125, stockpiling old aquariums as you go along, consider starting with 125 gallons.
