Need help picking the right turtle!

Question:
 My mom is letting me get a turtle and i've done some research but i'm having trouble picking the right kind for me. I've never owned a turtle before and am looking for one that is easy to take care of and doesn't get larger than 5" or 6". It would help me out alot if I had someone else's oppinion. Thanks!

Answer:
 You may be better off going with a small tortoise, like a Hermann's Tortoise, a Greek Tortoise or a Russian Tortoise.

Answer:
 When I really wanted a tortoise I got Turtles and tortoises for dummies. It is a great book that has a summary of a few of the more popular breeds. Check it out, I bet it will help a lot.

Answer:
 I had a tortiose for many years and she was a great pet. much better than a turtle.

Answer:
 First, decide if you want a pet that can be time-consuming and expensive to take care of. Turtles are not particularly easy to take care of.
Next, go to your local library and get a book about keeping turtles as pets, and then decide from there what type of turtle plus what food they eat and how they live.
The time to buy a turtle is not during the fall, winter and early spring when the turtle should be in hibernation. Turtles found in pet stores during this time are likely to be more stressed and suffering from dehydration and starvation than pet trade turtles found during the late spring and summer. If you can wait a few weeks it will not only give you the time to read up on whatever kind of turtle you decide upon, but it will probably be healthier too.
When picking your turtle out, here's what to look for:
The tanks in the pet store should be clean, and turtles shouldn't be living in overcrowded conditions.
The flesh between a turtle's neck and front legs should look a little plump.
The shell should be firm all over with no slimy or discolored patches.
There should be no swellings around the face or limbs; eyes should be open, clear, with no discharge or crusted material. It should look alert.
Ask to handle the turtle. When you pick the turtle up (supporting its body in your hands), it should feel like a weighty, solid turtle - not like a lightweight empty shell. A gentle tug on a back leg should cause the turtle to strongly pull the leg away. Turtles should strongly pull their leg away when you gently tug on the leg .
The nose and mouth should be clear - no bubbly secretions, and no clicking sound discernible when the turtle breathes. The beak should be even, free of breaks or over growths.
Have everything you need set up completely at home before getting your turtle. Going to a new environment is stressful enough; you don't want to be fiddling with setting up a tank and getting temperatures right after bringing your turtle home. Have everything ready and "perfect" for the new arrival.
Let your new turtle get used to its new surroundings for several days. It may spend the first couple of days closed tight in its shell, or may quickly withdraw when it sees you looming overhead or approaching. During this time, put fresh food out every day and make sure the water stays warm and clean. After a while, the turtle will begin to explore its surroundings, and may begin to watch the goings-on around it.
The tank you keep your turtle in is as important as selecting a healthy pet. The kind of habitat you need, depends on the kind or turtle you get. Your turtle's tank should be a minimum of 20 gallons, bigger IS better!
Keep in mind that all turtles (and tortoises) should have exposure to ultraviolet light, either through the use of UVA/UVB light bulbs (also called "Full-spectrum lighting") or exposure to natural sunlight. They need the special lighting to metabolize nutrients in their diet. With out the specialized lighting, and a proper diet, calcium deficiencies will result that can be fatal.
Different kinds of turtles need their habitat to be different temperatures. You may need to buy a water.
Large turtles can produce a lot of waste, and can be pretty messy. Remember...small turtles grow into large turtles!
Here's two web sites worth checking out:


Answer:
 Hey thanks! That was very helpful!
I always get this mixed up. What is the difference between a turtle and a tortoise? And I was also wondering what temperature should it be in order for me to take my turtle outside? And is there such thing as a dwarf turtle or tortoise?
Thanks

Answer:
 Turtles spend most of their life in or near the water. Turtles tend to have webbed feet for swimming. Tortoises, are land-dwellers, they do not have webbed feet. Their feet are round and stumpy for walking on land.
Terrapins spend their time both on land and in brackish water.
In general, look at the back legs. If they are webbed, call it a turtle. If they are stumpy call it a tortoise.
That's what we call them in the USA, depending on where you live it's different...
In the UK they refer to fresh water turtles as Terrapins, Tortoise are land turtles, and "Turtles" are oceanic dwellers. In Australia 'Tortoise' is used for everything except sea 'Turtles'.
The ideal temperature for your turtle's habitat depends greatly on the breed, as terrestrial turtles can maintain body heat longer than aquatic turtles. In general, keep the tank around 80º during the daytime, and 70º at night.
It is a good idea not to take the turtle out of its tank to show it off or play with it. These sudden changes in temperature can affect the immune system of reptiles, since they are cold-blooded animals and take longer to adjust to the changes.
There is no such thing as a "miniature turtle." Most turtles sold as such are baby red-eared sliders or other turtles from the same family. These turtles reach an adult size between 7 and 14 and more inches, depending on gender.
Sadly, most baby turtles die in the first year. Some die from stress or filth during shipping, or over crowding. Many die from malnutrition, cold, and ignorance.
Do yourself (and the turtle) a favor: read up on keeping turtles before getting one!

Answer:
 Thanks. It's a tortoise that i'm getting.

Answer:
 I have Red Ear Sliders (aquatic turtles) and a russian tortoise and have to say I enjoy thier company quite a bit. But there are a few important things to consider when deciding on any turtle or tortoise.
1) Turtles are tortoises require large enclosures. Tortoises need space to walk around and aquatics need room to swim and adequate water volume to dilute thier waste.
2) Turtles and tortoises are long lived. Aquatics will live at least 25-30+ years and tortoises should live at least 70-80 years if properly taken care of. The oldest recorded age for a russian tortoise was around 200 years. So keep in mind that someone else will most likely inherit your tortoise from you.
3) Turtles and tortoises require expensive UVB lighting if kept indoors.
From my own experience a small tortoise like a russian, greek, or hermans are actually cheaper to setup a good enclosure for. A cheap tortoise table can be made from plywood with a coat of poly and a 2X4 stand. I made mine out of particle board. I added a couple coats of poly and then some self sticking "stone" vinyl floor tiles to protect it. You also don't have to mess with the filter and tank maintinance associated with aquatics. A 50g storage tote with a 60/40 peatmoss/playsand mix in the bottom makes a good temporary enclosure for smaller tortoises. Ultimately, you will want at least a 6'X2' enclosure for an adult Russian, Greek, or Hermans tortoise.
An outdoor enclosure is usually best. Remember that tortoises are good diggers and surprisingly good climbers! So make sure that whatever sort of wall you use to enclose the area is tall enough and also extends 18-24" below ground. If you go with an outdoor enclosure and live in the US your best choices might be either a Russian Tortoise since they can tolerate a wide range of climate coniditions or some species of Box Turtle (terrestrial species) since they are native to the US.
If you decide on a terrestrial species you should also know that glass tanks are no good. The clear sides increase stress levels and the tall and narrow shape doesn't allow proper air circulation. Both can lead to resipratory infections and other illnesses.
As far as species selction, it will depend on the type of care you can provide. If they will be housed indoors definitely go with a mediteranean species such as a Russian, Greek, or Hermans. All 3 species top out around 8" and can tolerate the dry indoor conditions much better than other terrestrial species. If you are planning on an outdoor setup I would recommend either a Box Turtle or Russian Tortoise.
I have some pics of my tortoise table on my personal website at I've also started, and am nearly finished with, a basic care sheet for mediteranean tortoises and another for aquatic turtles if you want to check them out.