I am thinking of getting a pet turtle. What should I know or look into?

listen, these people dont know what they're saying, turtles are the best pets on earth, i have a common snapping turtle and they are the worst turtles to keep because they are EXTREMELY high maintenance,but they are one of the most beautiful creatures on earth if you really get to know them, i also have a red footed tortoise, i had a sulcata tortoise and another tortoise that died even before i got to know it:( but listen, having a RES( red eared slider) is getting so boring and almost everyone has a RES or painted turtle..if i were you, i'd get a tortoise over a turtle-dont get me wrong i love my common snapper, but my red footed tortoise is much more loveable and social...and the you dont even need a tank for tortoises! theres this thing called a "tortoise table"...tortoise tables can simply be made by taking an old book shelf, taking out the dividers and wha-la! or go to home dept. and put a few planks of wood and nail em up, or just take drawers that no one in your house uses and connect series of drawers(what i did)..it seems hard but its so simple!!! To keep the water from not going into the wood, simply buy the cheap party table covers(which are usually water resistant) and cover the tortoise table up with that, then put some substrate on top of the party table cover, get a heat lamp, and your finished! friends will be so much more amazed by that then a turtle tank believe me! and the tortoises are so much easier to maintain its not even funny, just spot clean where it poops, not so much the pee cus it just gets absorbed....TURTS AND TORTOISES RULE!!!!!!!!!

i have two turtles, there Mississippi map turtles, so cute(they stay tiny), ive never had any problems before, i had two before these ones that i have now, but a friend really wanted them, so i got new ones and gave the other ones to her . when they were really small i remember id put them on the floor and they'd run so fast, ahah their entertaining, if you need anything such as help with buying anything let me know, just message me :) xo oh and i hold my turtles all the time, they're the size of my palm, i have little hands, and they dont have problems at all .

some turtles have salmonella so be careful on where you buy and always ask someone or a company you know is trustworthy. I suggest looking into the costs (of course) and also, you must have a medium/small cage with water, one big rock, gravel, and a familiar environment to the turtle. Make sure you buy the right food and be careful! They can bite.

I found a mini turtle in the middle of the road, he almost got squashed! The turtle is in this big garden area that we made, he sure doesn't do much. I wouldn't consider holding him, especially when they pee on you (happened to me!) Sure, turtles are cool but not a very affectionate pet. Good luck!

I highly suggest a different pet. Most turtles do not like being held or played with. Just a fun pet to watch mainly. I suggest a bearded dragon or a leo. Pics of a leo (Leopard Gecko): http://www.the-lizard-lounge.com/content/gallery/lizard-pictures/leopard-gecko-pictures/leopard-gecko-01-4month.jpg http://estores.adtrader.co.uk/zoo_pets/siteimag/products/leopard-gecko.jpg "A Leopard Gecko you’re thinking. ” A lizard that will jump out of my hand and run up my wall to my ceiling!” Well you are wrong. These guys are ground dwellers and well to tell you the truth they are not to fast. This wonderful lizard is nocturnal meaning it sleeps during the day and comes out at night. So when you are at work or school it’s at home sleeping but when you get home and you are done eating dinner they are ready to party. Well you finally get one and your afraid to pick it up because you think it will bite…well I have never been bitten by a Leopard Gecko and if they do bite they will not hang on, they will almost immediately let go! So now you pick it up and you think of your friend who has a snake and how he is always complaining about picking up its shed skin. Will your geckos shed? Yes, all reptiles shed but well, get this…. Leopard Geckos actually eat their shed skin! That is wild! So you got it or you are going to get one what will you keep it in." Price for set up, Around 150$ Care Guides: http://www.leopardgeckoguide.com/ http://www.petco.com/caresheets/lizards/Gecko_Leopard.pdf Pics of bearded dragon: http://animal-world.com/encyclo/reptiles/lizards_agamids/images/BeardedDragonWHLA_DD2Ir19_med.jpg http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/images12/BeardedDragonKillerGrown.jpg "These gentle beasts are from Australia but are now readily available due to their willingness to breed in captivity. Bearded Dragons make a wonderful pet for both beginners and advanced reptile keepers. Due to their docile nature and relative small size (usually 16-20 inches) they have become quite popular in recent years. These beautiful creatures are highly recommended for families with small children also due to their seeming love for attention. " Care Guides: http://www.draconian.com/dragons/bearded-dragon-care.php http://www.dachiu.com/care/abeard.html Why Pick a Bearded Dragon? http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Bearded-Dragons-Make-Great-Pets&id=503953

i have a water turtle and a land turtle, and both play with me and both are clean. U always want to make sure they have good shells without rot before buying them and ask a lot of questions to whoever is selling them. There answers will tell u wether or not they take of th turtles. Turltes are awesome pets!!

turtles are great pets. they can live about as long as a human if cared for properly. some turtles can carry disease though, so make sure you wash your hands well after picking him up. just be sure you can get him a big enough home to accommodate him, because they will grow. good luck, and i hope i helped!

Be careful of salmonella, turtles tend to carry it a lot. Other than that they are very cute, the only thing I don't like about them is you can't teach them anything or have a lot of fun with them.

A turtle will probably outlive you, so if you don't think you would want to look after a pet that lives that long, you shouldn't get one. Why don't you get a dog, they are great pets. :]