my brother is 5 and he askedme to get him a turtle for his birthday in a week an 1/2 are turtles good pets?

Question

he is very fasinated in turtles are they good pets for a 6 year old he said he would take good care of it

Answer 1

Turtles are alot of care and require special handling they are not good pets for children.
Turtles carry salmonella and children have a tendency to touch things alot and not wash their hands. Not only is this bad for the kid but the germs on the child's hands can also kill a turtle.
Most people who get turtles for children think it is fine to put them in a small tank but the truth is that most water turtles will get between 5 to 15+ inches and require 10 gallons of tank space and water per inch.
They also will die if their water is not sparkling clean and the cost for upkeep is pretty steep. They must have water filters, pumps, a heater, proper lighting, means of getting out of the water but always access to water.
Turtles die all the time because people put them in these little bowls because stores are not knowledgeble enough to tell you what their true requirements are. Store bought turtles also come with ALOT of parasites and will require vet care which is typically $75+ per visit....all turtles will require vet care. Petstore animals are generally not healthy either and are subject to die alot quicker.

As far as tortoises or land turtles they carry the same diseases and parasites and are even more delicate then their water friendly cousins.

I know I sound negative which I don't mean too...I have had both turtles and tortoises and loved them to death but if I waited for my 12 yr. old and 17 yr. old children to take care of them they would all be dead by now.

Regardless what you do remember this is a big commitment to take on and is not the responsiblity of a 6 yr. old. If you are still interested here is a website with detailed information. Good luck!

Edit: Well I see that someone else mentioned Austins page and very good info so let me add another site . If you are still interested please consider a breeder to buy from you can check out this website for prices and see the various costs of different turtles and tortoises.

Answer 2

Most of the answers here were based on misunderstandings of proper turtle care. The 'old ways' of raising a turtle- small tank, no special lighting, a 'shaker' of food, etc. is a horrible thing to do to these wonderful animals.

Turtles have a few basic needs that a 5-year old can help with:
- BIG tanks- they need a lot of space to swim in. Aim for at least 10 gallons per inch of turtle.
- WARM water- aim for water temps of 75-80F
- LIGHT that offers warmth (heat basking sites to 90F), and UVB lighting. This can easily run $30 a bulb, not including the ceramic socket.
- FILTER that can handle the mess turtles make- it should be about 3 times the size usually needed for fish.

A great article on this topic is http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Articles/firstturtle.htm

Answer 3

Turtles can be very expensive animals to keep. Not only that but they require a stable diet of pellets, fresh or live fish, and insects etc. They also foul their tanks/enclosures pretty quickly. They also grow very big. I am sure your brother would love to take care of one but I don't think he would be able to maintain a creature like this properly at such a young age. He would probably need to be supervised when handelling and caring for a turtle, if there is someone at home who will help him out then maybe it isn't such a bad idea but if not then why dont you visit your local zoo? Maybe he could sponser a turtle until he is old enough to fully understand and care for these animals himself. Many children who are left to care for pets at a young age tend to get bored and the animal then gets neglected.
I may sound negative but I only have the animals best intentions at heart.

Answer 4

Since he won’t be paying the expenses himself, first ok it with whoever will be. Also make sure there is someone willing to help him clean the heavy aquarium and to supervise feeding, handling, and habitat temperature. He might think he can take good care of it, and I’m sure he has good intentions, but it isn’t something he can do alone. Make sure whoever takes care of him is willing to do all of that. I’d hate to see that turtle end up back at the pet store because it turned out to be too much unexpected work.

Answer 5

No turtles and reptiles in generally are not good pets for kids. They take a lot of work and require a special diet, lghting and heat.

Answer 6

Turtle, believe it or not take a ton of responsibility.
Question your brother again , ask him if he is positive that he wants a turtle, tell him that they take a ton of responsibility, and make sure that he is positive that he wants it. Make sure you go to a safe and good place to get one, because it is most common that most turtles carry diseases.
And remember he is 5 years old, be very careful of what you give to 5 year old!

Answer 7

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Answer 8

Yes. They make excellent pets. You are going to want to get him a large cage though. I like the Red Eared Sliders or the African Sideneck Turtles. They are pretty neat animals. But make sure that you get an aquarium when you go, NOT a terrarium. I included a good page about the Sidenecks. Good luck!

Answer 9

Turtles are very good pets. I think that supporting a child's interest in animals is vital to their development, it also teaches responsibility and releases the caring nature. Red-eared slider turtles are fantastic, they are extremely small, and usually have a little island home display that you can buy for them. They are also cheap, and entertaining...I also have not heard of one biting which is important since this is for a small child. GOOD LUCK!

Answer 10

Turtles are very expensive pets. And they are very messy if you do not have the right equipment it needs. They tend to grow very big meaning you will have to buy a big tank for it, along with its housing materials.