info about pet turtles? How big do they get? what is involved?

Question

Okay..my kid wants a turtle and I know nothing about them. What does it take to get started and do I really want to get started? How big do they get? I thought they were little things that lived in a fishbowl..someone else said they get big???? Should I just go for a virtual pet and call it good? We have dogs..isn't that good enough? Anyways....I don't want her to get something that involves alot of my time...yes, i know who will clean and feed and such..I'm prepared for that..within reason.. but I don't want some cute turtle turning into some gigantical turtle and no where to put him....someone else said that anything under 4 inches was illeagal??? aren't there little turtles like what we saw on Hallmark movies?

So what's involved with getting a turtle...? help!

so they don't stay little? I was kinda hoping for something that stayed about the size of the palm of my hand....... are there any like that?

Answer 1

I would have to disagree with "copperhead". A tortoise would not be better as there are no good commercial tortoise food on the market. You would have to grow your own weeds in a garden for it to eat or at least buy it grocery foods (not the better choice though). So a turtle would be better. And the most common turtle is a Red-eared slider. You can find these at most pet stores. But they will be over 4" if they are to be sold legally. However, www.turtlesale.com, sells turtle hatchlings. Although they claim they are to be sold for scientific reasons only and not as pets (since this is legal). Yet, you as a person, could not be fined or charged for buying it. The law only applies to sellers, and not even private breeders. So with that being said you could legally (kinda) purchase a hatchling turtle. But i would not buy from turtlesale.com. Even though they guarentee the health of their turtles they will still likely die since they are so young. A 4" turtle would have a much better chance of surviving (with proper care). If you must get a hatchling try this link...
http://market.kingsnake.com/index.php?cat=39
If you wish to learn more about the care of Red-eared sliders try this link...
http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/trachemyscare.htm
I realize all this probably seems daunting but they do make great pets. Just be aware they you will need to buy a 55 gallon tank (for an adult), a UVB lamp, gravel, a good filter (or two if you want), and be sure to give the turtle a place to get out of the water to bask in the lamp (otherwise they can get skin rot). I would suggest a 4" turtle at a pet store over a hatchling as they will likely be already eating pellets and will not likely die in the first couple weeks, as so many hatchlings do. Wow, now doesnt all that deserve a best answer!? Good luck and i hope youll enjoy your RES for years(and years) to come.
Also feel free to email me through the link on my profile thingy if you have any questions.

Answer 2

The average person considers taking proper care of a turtle to be a lot of work. Figure 10 gallons per inch of turtle (measure the top shell straight from front to back). So, a 6" turtle will need at least a 55 gallon tank. You'll also need a good filter (canister filters are best), heat light over a basking area, UVB light, and a siphon to change the water.

Red-eared sliders are the most commonly sold turtles, and they're hardy, but they get big - 5-12 inches, most over 5 inches, and there are ALWAYS sliders for adoption, either through a local reptile society or rescue, or through Petfinder.com

Eastern and southern painted turtles stay smaller. Males don't get much over 4", but buy from a breeder, not a pet store. Most pet store turtles are wild-caught (except for the ones that get big, such as sliders and cooters, because they're cheaper to breed at big turtle farms down south). Mud turltes stay relatively small, around 3-4.5 inches in most cases, but again, most in pet stores or on-line are wild-caught. You can find a breeder in the dearler's listings at www.turtleforum.com

I wouldn't recommend shippign a turtle for another month or so - too cold right now.

Turtles can live 20+ years, too, and some have made it over 50 or 60 years.

Don't forget the risk of salmonella if you or your child don't wash your hands properly. I've handled over 300 turtles in the last 8 years, and haven't had a problem, but you need to be aware of it.

Try looking over caresheets at www.turtleforum.com and talking with some other turtle keepers their. Also visit www.petfinder.com to see what's for adoption in your area.

Oh, it's illegal to sell turtles under 4" these days, but some people still do it - and those cute little green turtles are most likely red-eared sliders that can grow from 1.25" to 10" in ten years! This picture says a thousand words! http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=6693598

Answer 3

Red eared sliders are the most common to keep as pets. These were the ones that lived in the little plastic container with the island with a plastic palm tree in the middle that lived (maybe) about a year.

Now it's not legal to sell them as pets until they're at least 4". And they will get about 3-4 times this size and live about 25 yrs. if cared for properly. You should at least get a large tank (40 gallon breeder or a 55 gallon), one end will need built up (or buy a turtle dock) so it can get completely out of the water, heat lamp (temp around 85o), possibly an aquarium heater for the water (should be ~75o), a filter, food, and UVB light (unless you keep it in a pond/kiddie swimming pool outdoors). Plus, it should get weekly water changes of 25% or so of the tank water.

A virtual pet would be an excellent way to see if your son/daughter would be responsible for its care, or if this would be something you'd be stuck with for the next 20 years. So would having him/her doing research on the care and cost of upkeep.

IMO, a tortoise would be a better choice - these are mose expensive and live longer, but you don't have water changes to contend with. Some species (Greek, Russian, Hermann's) stay relatively small.

Answer 4

We have 2 turtles. One is a red eared slider and she is about the size of a dinner plate. They are fairly easy to care for. We keep them in a large fishtank with half water and some rocks for them to climb on. Do NOT use fish tank gravel, no matter what the pet store tells you, we ended up with a constipated turtle (no joke!) because she ate it! Good luck! They live forever!

Answer 5

depends on what kind a normal turtle probably the size of paper plate maybe smaller

Answer 6

i would say a red eared slider but be aware that they can carry diseases and it takes a lot of care and u will need a bigg tank for them,heating and turtle docks for basking

Answer 7

Depends on the turtle.
Go to happyturtle.ms11.net