What is a good pet turtle for a beginner to own?

Question

Are tortoises easier or turtles and which ones are the easiest to take care of?

Answer 1

OK, here is the deal:

NO turtle or tortoise is super-easy, even though people say they are. It will cost you about $100-200 to set up a good habitat. Remember- you need to provide a spacious enclosure, total temperature and lighting control, humidity control for many tortoises (even Eastern box turtles need 70% humidity for health), and good filtration for water turtles. The diet for many species is a bit costly as well.

Once you get the habitat set up, there are a few species that do indeed work well.

If you like aquatics, the main limitation is size. Reeves turtle, mud and musk turtles, Spotted turtles, and more are easy enough if you offer the right food.

If you want a land turtle, remember that even the smaller tortoises and box turtles will want at least a 4' x 4' pen, and that most need either high or low humidity.

Good tortoises are the Greek (or Mediterranean Spur thighed) and Hermann's tortoises, and the larger and humidity-loving Red-foot tortoise.

I'd avoid these common species:
- North American wood turtles- tricky habitat needs
- Sulcata tortoises- these get HUGE and should be avoided if you cannot keep them in a year-round outdoor pen.
- Ornate or Western box turtles- just tricky to keep well.
- Russian tortoises- I know this is not the majority opinion, but these guys are trickier than most people think and apparently need a little hibernation for maximum health.
- Red-ears and Painteds unless you are ready for 100 gallon tanks when they hit full size.
- Avoid ANY baby turtles- they are both illegal and harder to care for.
- Snappers- easy to care for, but get big and they DO snap!
- Softshells- tend to get fungal infections and need an unusual set-up.

Answer 2

In my opinion tortoises are easier. Keeping water turtles clean is a big, ongoing, smelly, gross job.
Look into getting a Russian Tortoise. They stay small and are vegetarians, so they don't eat yucky bugs.
Chinese Box Turtles eat bugs and stay small.
These 2 would be my choice for pets. They have surprising personalities, and are very fun.
Please do lots of research on your own BEFORE bringing one home. You don't want to make any tragic mistakes.
Good luck

Answer 3

Setting up a turtle aquarium

Turtle aquariums are a little different from the ordinary fish aquariums that are commonly kept in homes. For one, the turtles grow much bigger than they seem. Most new pet-owners mistakenly believe that the small sized baby turtle they see at the pet shop is not going to get much larger. A glass aquarium of 25-50 gallons or more is most suitable for turtle. One of the most important elements of turtle keeping is the selection of an appropriately sized tank. Long or "breeder" tanks are usually the best for turtles. The depth of the water should be more than the length of the turtle. In case the turtle needs to flip over, it will not get stuck in shallow water.

The water in the turtle aquarium should have a good and powerful filter. Turtles tend to be messy eaters and they also defecate directly into the water. It is necessary to keep changing the water quite often. This should be taken into consideration when putting up a turtle aquarium.

The turtle tank should have a lid and a full spectrum fluorescent light. The lighting can be adjusted using a timer to reflect the lengthening hours of the day. A good heater system is a must in a turtle tank. The substrate should be at varying levels so that the turtle can have a place where it can sit in water with its head sticking out of the water. The land area is ideally created with slate and rocks. There should be no sharp edges. This will make it easy for the turtle to climb on to the dry area. There should also be no place at the bottom of the tank where the turtle gets wedged. If it gets stuck, it will not able to surface for breath.

You will need an area that is fully dry and out of the water where the turtle can haul out and dry itself. Simulating the sun by positioning a spotlight over this area will encourage the turtle to bask. Putting the aquarium in direct sunlight is dangerous in case the turtle is not able to get into the water. There is another reason why a totally dry land area is a must in your turtle aquarium. The female turtle that is carrying its eggs will look for a dry area to bury her eggs. In the absence of a dry area, the female turtle will try to retain her eggs as long as possible. Then she will drop the eggs into the water itself. If the female turtle retains her eggs for too long, she may become sick. Fertilization within the body may also occur, and this will lead to massive infection. Larger turtles will need a bigger land area.

A turtle aquarium needs a bit of ingenuity when you set out to decorate it. Your turtle aquarium will not sustain flimsy plants for long, because the turtles will devour this quickly. The plants that go into a turtle tank needs to be stout and small. They should be able to withstand the heavy and constant activity of the turtle. Actually, a turtle tank does not need plants, gravel or sand. These will add to the difficulty in cleaning the tank. Most turtles thrive when there are minimum decorations within the tank.

It is best to investigate the natural habitat of your turtle before you bring it home. Most turtles prefer a higher temperature than the existing room temperature. Using underwater heaters is a good idea. However if your turtle is too active, it is better to "wall off" the heater a bit. After setting up the turtle aquarium, it should be run for a few days before you introduce the turtles. This will help to identify any problems in filtering, lighting etc. It is worth buying a thermometer also.

While choosing a turtle, go for the young ones only after you see the adults. Many turtles seem very small and tiny while they are young. But they soon out grow their tanks if they are fed well. In such a case, you will have to get yourself a new tank.

Answer 4

A red eared slider turtle is great. My brother first got one when he was 11 and put it in a 20 gallon tank with water and land. He has had it for 5 years and has had no problems. It is very easy to maintain and does not cost much.

Answer 5

Are you looking for something on land or an aquatic turtle? Most turtles get bigger and need more room than people realize, so do lots of reading before making your decision. Also be aware that many turtles and tortoises sold in stores, including box turtles, Russian and Greek tortoises, and wood turtles, are wild-caught. Although red-eared sliders are usually captive bred and the cheapest turtle, they can get up to 10-12" in shell length, and need AT LEAST a 55 or 75 gallon aquarium as an adult.

For an aquatic turtle, 10 gallons of water per inch of turtle is a good rule of thum. An eastern or southern painted turtle is a good starter, as they stay a bit smaller than sliders but have as much personality. Males stay smaller than females, too.

For more information on box turtles, visit Tess Cook's site http://www.boxturtlesite.org/
Bill's Box Turtle website, http://www.billsboxturtles.com , has ideas for outdoor pens, as does Tess Cook's site.
Box turtles need a fairly large area, NOT an aquarium.

For possibly the best article on indoor box turtle care available, ask your veterinarian for a copy of "Indoor Care of North American Box Turtles" by Barnett and Whitaker, from Exotic DVM Veterinary Magazine, Volume 6.1, March 2004, or order a copy at http://www.exoticdvm.com/ - it can be sent straight to your e-mail in-box.

If you are considering an aquatic turtle, please visit one of these sites or try The General Care and Maintenance of Red-Eared Sliders by Philippe de Vosjoli from Advanced Vivarium Systems, Santee, CA (1992), available in most pet stores or from http://www.amazon.com

http://members.tripod.com/~Draybar/draybarturtles.html and http://www.turtlepuddle.org/health/small_tank_filter.html has some great ideas for aquariums.

http://www.angelfire.com/il3/janice/pondconstruction/construction.html shows how to build a pond and has links to ponding sites.
http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/basiccarebasking.htm
http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/chrysemyscare.htm
http://www.turtlepuddle.org/

Also consider adoption - rescues can be found at www.petfinder.com or at www.anapsid.org

FYI, turtles DO NOT grow to the size of their tank - they grow depending on the care they receive and their species and their gender (male turtles are usually smaller than females). A mud turtle stays fairly small, under 5", a red--eared slider between 5-12 inches.

Answer 6

hi there
i found that red ear slider turtles are a good starter turtle to own...so are painted turtles and soft shell turtles...map turtles don't make good pets they tend to bite same with snapping turtles ...red ear sliders and painted turtles eat both meat and vegetation...you can bye food pellets that are good for them but most times you should also feed them small feeder guppies or goldfish...depending on the size of the turtle...when they get larger you can feed them small bread chunks ...these turtles are aquatic and live mostly in the water... but its always good to have land areas in the tank ...warning tho these turtles can grow large ...about the size of an ordinary dinner plate...any way i don't recommend tortoises for they can eat alot and get really expensive ...any way ... i hope this helps you ...good luck in finding your new pet...

Answer 7

A box turtle. They are much easier to take care of then red sliders. Red sliders need constant water changes since they poopy a lot.

Answer 8

A Red Ear Slider is an easy pet to take care of.

Answer 9

I recommend the Eastern box-turtle. I had about four at one time. They live on land so you won't need a wet environment. You will need a little box or dry aquarium to put it in. it needs plenty of water and fed fruits and veggies daily. You'll need a book to read up and learn how to really care for it. They are lots of fun! They are smart too! I mean that.

Answer 10

I had two Red Eared sliders. They are very nice and easy to handle. They were very easy to take care of and as long as you have a good filter they arn't that messy :) They grow depending on the size of your tank and can become huge or stay tiny.

Hope this is helpful. Rae