Buying a pet is nothing new to your average person. Most people are familiar with pet stores, breeders and most common pet animals. When buying turtles as pets these same pet savvy individuals often get confused.
Different species of turtle are not as common knowledge as species of dogs or cats. Even if you know nothing about buying turtles, you can find the perfect pet for you with a little background information.
First, you must consider what type of turtle you want. The most common pet turtle is the semi-aquatic turtles. Semi-aquatic means they live both on land and in water.
Even if you get an aquatic there are still several different sub species with their own unique health, personality and temperament. Before buying a turtle do your research. Check the internet for turtle information. Better yet get a book on turtle care to get all the specific details you need.
General Requirements
The semi aquatic turtle needs enough water in the tank for swimming and enough land for basking. Turtles are reptiles that rely on swimming and basking as ways to control their core body temperature.
Another important reason for basking is a vitamin that the sun emits. The sun gives off vitamin D3 in its rays. This is a vitamin that most mammals produce on their own, but reptiles and turtles do not. A D3 deficiency can mean illness and eventually death.
A reptile UV light above the basking area works as an artificial sun. If you have a safe area outside (no animals to attack your turtle, or escape routes near open roads) you could let your turtle bask in the sun outside. Of course this would require a fenced in area to avoid escapes.
Turtle Tips
Keep in mind when selecting your turtle that you must allow room for growth. As the turtle grows its habitat should also grow. Turtles like many other animals grow to the size of their environment. If you keep your turtle in a space that's too small it will stunt its growth, which is very unhealthy. Be prepared to upgrade to a larger tank as time goes on. A 30 gallon tank may serve you well for a baby turtle, but as it grows be prepared for a 50-100 gallon tank.
Another thing to keep in mind is that some turtles carry salmonella. That doesn't mean you have to avoid them all together, it just means you need to wash your hands before and after handling your turtle. Wash before handling so that the germs and bacteria on your hands don't contaminate the turtle.
To avoid constantly washing your hands limit how much you come in contact with your turtle. This is particularly true with baby turtles or species that are 4 inches long or less. In these cases try to handle them as little as possible. Small children seem to like putting baby turtles in their mouths, so make sure to keep them away from any children to avoid illness.
Long Lifespan
Finally, when buying a turtle you must realize that a pet turtle is a commitment. Turtles can live for decades. Thirty to 40 years is not uncommon with proper care. A few species of wild turtles can live up to 100 years!
To be fair the average pet turtle lasts about 50. This is much different than your average dogs life expectancy of a little over 10 years. Beprepared for a long life span.
If you do decide to buy a turtle make sure that if you can't keep it forever, at least have a backup plan. After a decade or so of being fed and cared for by humans, letting a turtle go back to the wild could be sentencing it to death.
When you take on the responsibility of owning a turtle you must realize that all your kindness puts the turtles natural instincts on the back burner. They will become entirely dependent on you for survival.
A turtle can make a great pet and an awesome addition to any family or home. Just make sure you get all the facts before you begin buying turtles as pets. They may not be the most time consuming or difficult animals, but don't forget they are living creatures that deserve proper care and the love any other pet would recieve. Your turtle will learn to recognize you as its friend or its enemy. Treat them right and you will have a friend for life.
