in kentucky it's illegal to buy them if they're under 4inches in diameter and i want a baby one. possibly 2 of them. any answers help!!
2006-07-28 13:33:47 · 9 answers · asked by kaitlin_danette09 2 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
besides a pet store. and could everyone give me details in how much care it takes to have a turtle or 2. thanks!!
2006-07-28 13:34:23 · update #1
Everyone wants baby ones, but keep in mind that that only buys you time, in a few years you will still end up with turtles potentially the size of dinner plates. You need a VERY large tank, or better yet a pond. Turtles need about 10 gallons of water per inch of shell. That means two 1 inch turtles in a half filled 40 gallon tank... once they get 6 to 10 inches... you do the math. If you've got the room, time, and money (and more money... lol), they make great pets. I suggest checking out http://www.allturtles.com and seeing if they are really the pet for you.
2006-07-28 16:03:57 · answer #1 · answered by snake_girl85 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Care issues: http:///www.redearslider.com
A few tidbits: For good health, you'll need...
- At least 10 gallons of swimming space per inch of turtle
- Lighting that simulates sunlight, including UV-B rays, which don't go through glass.
- Heating that keeps the water at 80-85 and the bssking areas at 90
- Filtration that keeps up with turtles, whch are far messier eaters than fish.
Babies are even tricker than adults- they need a lot of space to exercise in, an almost totally meat-based diet (but NO hamburger!) in sizes and tastes their little mouths will eat, and very careful control over temps and lighting.
There are a LOT of bad teachings out there about raising turtles. Review some good care outlines before you buy.
As for a source- it is indeed illegal to own baby turtles. This is partially due to Salmonella risk, and due to an attempt to reduce the millions of baby turtles collected and mistreated every year- especially back in the 60's and 70's.
You can try to cheat (there ARE places and ways to do this)- but why bother? Again- baby turtles are TERRIBLE pets!
2006-07-29 20:01:05 · answer #2 · answered by Madkins007 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
LOL that is funny from Kentucky to looking for turtles for my eight year old! Well I called a couple of pet stores today. Petco said they have to order them the cost between 12.00 and 15.99. I also called another Pet store fishy business and they have a box turtle for 89.00! I had no IDEA turtles could cost so much! Hope this helps you! I am still looking online for two myself. I will let you know if I come across a website! Missy
2006-07-28 21:39:21 · answer #3 · answered by Missy J 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My suggestion is to look up a breeder for the type of tortoise or turtle you would like and ask them about possibly purchasing from them and tell them what you would l like. They might be able to help you. Or you could try breeding turtles yourself, There is a lot of information on the web about such a thing. It could be interesting but if you work daily I would make sure that there is always someone watching the eggs if you decide to breed.
I have a russian tortoise and it cost me about 200 dollars for the equipment alone. They threw in the turtle for free. At petsmart a russian tortoise cost about 79.99. I got my tortoise from a exotic pets store.
2006-07-28 23:00:40 · answer #4 · answered by gellie 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Turtles under four inches in diameter carry a serious disease. I would reccomend a tortouse instead. Care is simple...water, food, and sunlight. As with all pets, plan to spend at least 10 minutes per day with the animal and have large accomadations so it is not cramped.
2006-07-28 20:39:01 · answer #5 · answered by Jerome S 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is illegal in all USA states to sell turtles under 4" not just Kentucky.
Although the law is often ignored, any store that sells you the under 4" turtle is breaking a Federal law... not a good idea.
2006-07-29 10:52:09 · answer #6 · answered by carl l 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They all can carry the same diseases. The people who make the rules think kids will put them in their mouths 4" is considered to big for a childs mouth. Try to contact a breeder. Decide first if you want a water tank with turtles or a dry land tank with tortoises. Good luck
2006-07-28 23:33:11 · answer #7 · answered by emily 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The box turtles we have we got from outdoors. My husband and I just let them roam the house and not only do they get rid of all of the bugs in the house they also clean up after themselves.
My husband had one of his for over 20 years.
2006-07-28 20:43:14 · answer #8 · answered by Mrs. Mac 4 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
pet store is best or if you go to/or call the pet store they may have listings of people that breed and sell turtles.
2006-07-28 20:39:42 · answer #9 · answered by monkeehugs 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋