 
I'm not going to cover
everything about turtles as pets in detail on these
pages but will include a list of links that may be helpful as
well, as the end of this page.
In my research on turtles
the first thing I found was a warning about turtles less than 4
inches in size as pets. In fact they have been banned in the USA
as pets since 1975. Apparently they
carry potentially dangerous bacteria called
Salmonella and pose a high risk of spreading disease, especially to children.
The ban by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has
prevented an estimated 100,000 cases of salmonellosis annually
in children. This also applies to other amphibians like frogs,
newts and salamanders so think carefully before buying one of
these if you have children or other people at risk in your
family.
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QUICK
FACTS: |
Life Span - Up to
25 years depending on the type
Care - Medium to High Maintenance
Food - Fresh
fruit & vegetables, insects, blood worms, mosquito larvae,
live fish and red meat.
Housing - Large tank or aquarium, light for heating.
Pond for outside.
Licence -
You do need a licence in you live in
Australia
Danger - Avoid handling to prevent disease
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GENERAL
INFO:
 Turtles and tortoises are very complex organisms and
they have a very specialised set of needs. If a turtle owner
does not provide these specialised needs, then these animals
will lead a very poor quality of life and die a premature death.
The initial expense of purchasing a turtle or tortoise is by far
the cheapest part of owning a turtle. To properly care for a
turtle, you will need to provide appropriate housing, food,
vitamins, bedding, temperature, humidity, and veterinary care,
which can be very expensive. Feed your turtle live fish at least
once a week, to make sure it gets to exercise. Turtles like to
hunt, and it is also great fun to watch them dive in after small
fish. A really interesting fact about turtles is that some can breathe
underwater through their bottoms, especially during hibernation.
It's really best if you can make an
outside home for your turtle or tortoise. To do this you should
make sure you have a fence around the pond, access to good sunlight and shade
and vegetation.
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SETTING UP THE HOME |
- Your turtle's tank capacity must be at least 40
gallons.
-
A temperature control
– if the water's too cold, turtles can't digest
their food properly.
- A good filter.
- Some pebbles or a piece of driftwood to let your turtle dry
off.
- UV lights (10cm away from the water).
- Vegetation, if you're keeping short-necked
turtles.
- Avoid using tap water for your turtle tank, as
chlorine and fluoride are present in tap water, and
can disturb the ph balance. Use natural spring
water for your turtle's drinking water, and
de-chlorinated water for the swimming area. You can
remove the chlorine from water by letting it sit for
24 hours before putting it in the tank.
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PRO & CONS: |
-
 Turtles do not interact with or particularly like humans.
Are you prepared to have a pet that does not interact with
you other than at feeding time?
-
Turtles require clean, fresh water and bedding. Sometimes
you need to spend up to half an hour a day looking after
them. It's important to clean the tank and change the water
once a week.
- Turtles need access to water and land at all times. If
you keep your turtle in a tank, make sure it has exposure to
sunlight 2-3 times a week. This will keep its shell hard –
essential for good turtle health.
- Turtles kept outdoors need to hibernate to make sure
they have somewhere to do this where they won't be
disturbed.
- For turtles kept indoors, it is recommended that they
not be allowed to hibernate.
- It can be difficult to find someone to care for your
turtles if you plan on travelling as their home may be difficult to move depending on its
size.
- Do you need a licence? In most states of Australia, it
is only legal to keep native fauna if you hold the appropriate
licence. In some states however it is still illegal and you
should check with your local wildlife authority.
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