do turtles make good pets? how do you take care of them?

Question

I am actually thinking of gifting a turtle to a child of 9. Those are small inch long turtles given in a box of water... do they grow.. or remain the same size... what do they eat? Will he be able to take care of them?

Thanks for all the feedback. I greatly appreciate it. You have helped me decide that a turtle is not, after all, a good pet for my son, considering the house and the environment we live in. But I have learnt so much about Turtles today. Thanks once again!

Answer 1

Turtles are not easy to care for. Reptiles in general have very special needs that must be met at all times. If anything is off they wont survive. They need special heating and light and a specially prepared diet. The small turtle you see are small because they are babies. They will grow a lot. Most 9 year-olds aren't going to be able to care for it properly. Turtles need at least 10 gallons or water per inch of turtle. And they grow pretty fast. They need a half dry half wet habitat. They can't just stay in the water all the time. They need to be able to get out of the water to bask. They need a very strong water filter because they are messy. They also need a special UV light made for reptiles. If they don't have this they wont be able to process certain vitamins and they'll get very sick very quickly. In all they are not for the average pet owner. They are expensive to keep properly and they can carry salmonella. So they can make your son and you very ill if not cared for correctly. Here is a website you can look at for more care info. http://www.austinsturtlepage.com

Answer 2

You are talking about the Red-Ear slider probably, but this will apply to most of the 'pond turtles' you can easily buy.

1. Turtles do not make very good pets in that you have to provide a complete environment if you wish to raise them right and keep them healthy. It is a lot of work and a little science involved.

2. The proper habitat for pond turtles includes:
- A tank that offers AT LEAST 10 gallons of swimming space per inch of turtle. I know they sell tiny tanks that are nice and cute, but even a baby turtle needs at least 10 gallons to exercise in, hunt for food in, etc. A smaller tank gets soiled faster, causes stress in the turtle, and will affect the turtle's health. Remember- the turtle will grow if well cared for, and quickly need 40 or even 60 gallons of swimming space. Plan ahead!
- A way to keep the water temps about 75 degrees
- A powerful filtrations system- turtles are really messy eaters and the water is going to get quickly soiled. Larger tanks get dirty more slowly than small tanks.
- Lighting that simulates dayling, especially with Ultraviolet lighting, which does not pass throguh glass. You can use a reptile-specific bulb but there are other options as well.
- Basking sites that allow the turtle to get totally out of the water safely, are heated to around 90, and offer access to UV light

3. A good turtle diet can be offered with high-quality turtle pellets (cheaper pellets use cheap nutrients). You can find special 'baby-sized' pellets from some of the better makers, but breaking other pellets works. As you learn more, you can supplement the diet with worms, small fish, etc. as you wish.

4. The pond turtles all grow. While there is a lot of variance between species and sexes, 6 to 10 inches is common for adults, and they should hit 3 to 6 inches in a couple years.



It is one of the great tragedies in life that so many pets have suffered because people have come to believe totally wrong things about them.

The way many people treat turtles, for example, causes the turtles to die from a combination of problems after a few months in most cases, while with a little care they should live 5-15 years!

A turtle can make an interesting pet for anyone willing to set up the habitat right, feed them well, and put in the work to keep things running right.

Good luck!

Answer 3

i have a turtle and they are very cute, turtles always grow they don't stop growing, you should supply it with a twenty gallon tank at first eventauly you will need to get a bigger tank maybe even up to 60 gallons if you don't want to have to buy a new one in a few years. you will have to make a land and water part. and also a heat lamp and trust me get a filter. it saves alot of cleaning. it took me about three days of constantly holding and petting her before she would finally come out.i don't think getting your nine year old a turtle is a good idea trust me wait a little longer because your the one who will have to change the tank and clean the turtle. plus nine year olds like to do stuff with there pets and all the turtle can do is sit and be watched.My turtle eats turtle pellets be she also gets some meat and veggies. and in case you are wondering turtles only eat when they are in water

Answer 4

yes they do make great pets. I think what you are talking about is a Red Earred Slider. Here is a care sheet for it. If you have something else in mind other that that let me know and I can give you a care sheet for it. Good Luck

RED EAR SLIDER
Trachemys scripta elegans

Red Ear Sliders are found in the eastern United States and northeast Mexico. They are one of the most commonly kept reptiles in the world. Sliders are mainly aquatic but like heat and can be found frequently basking in the sun within close proximity to water for safety.

Maximum size: 11.5”

Lighting: Full spectrum fluorescent UV bulbs and a basking light are required.

Temperature range: 75°F –80F° with a basking area of 88°F

Food: Their diet consists of live fish, snails, crayfish, crickets, earthworms, aquatic plants and dark leafy greens. Specialized pelleted foods for omnivorous aquatic turtles are also a good choice.

Water: Clean dechlorinated water with a depth of 3- 5” is required.

Housing/Habitat: An aquarium with sand or gravel substrate and a submersible heater to provide the proper temperature. Landscape to provide basking and drying areas for the turtle. A good filter will keep the water clean and decrease the frequency of required water changes.

Answer 5

I had turtles as a kid. They usually died by crawling under
a fridge, or stove, etc. Died quite easy unfortunately.
Nowadays, it is unsafe really to have turtles. They carry
some sort of oily substance weird thing that causes
disease I do believe. And it is not a good idea to have
these critters for pets as they carry this that can bring
symptoms like salmonella .
Turtles are best left alone.
A nine year old probably would love a hamster, or
fish in a cool fishtank, or a gerbil or something.
Woofy

Answer 6

well i had one, ididnt grow much, but some of them grow but not HUGE!! maybe 5 inches but u cant keep it in those little tanks, u should buy a bigger one put in a rock so he can sit on and maybe a plant but make sure that if u buy a bowl, that he wont climb out by getting on the plant, thats how i lost mine. and make sure u put him in a safe place. About the food, just go to a pet store and ask what wold be best for a small turtle, or just get turtle food, also ask how often to feed him, or usually, the bottle has instructions. if ur gonna name him, try to make it a unisex name, unless one know wat sex he is. and remember to change his water, maybe once a week.

GOOD LUCK!! i hope it teaches ur child some responsibility, turtles are usually easy to take care of.

Answer 7

We just started caring for a small snapping turtle we found on the lawn, and so far, so good. Here is a site with just a ton of info on turtles. One caution is to make sure you wash after touching the turgle and keep the area around its container washed. Salmonella is a concern with turtles. http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/
Its got a lot of good info and a helpful forum, too.

Answer 8

Depending on the species you may have a small problem, I recieved 2 Red Eared Sliders when I was younger and they were fun to play with, although you do have to watch for salmonella and the biggest problem would be that you should clean the tank every week. They will grow big! I suggest putting them in a pond if you do get them.

Answer 9

depending on the species it could grow to the size of a dinner plate but most species sold in stores don't get quite that large and it takes forever for them to grow anyway. just make sure to keep the tank clean and wash hands after handling to prevent salmonella. (you can buy pellets to feed them or small fish like minnows and guppys live will do, they tend to be about 20-30 for a dollar at most fish stores when sold as feeders)

Answer 10

i do not know.......try it ur self and u will also know how to take care