Information on Baby Turtles

Turtles are popular pets in the United States, and baby turtles are cute and nearly irresistible. They are commonly sold at pet stores and tourist destinations, but you need to use extra caution when buying a baby turtle. They are not suitable pets for everyone, and some baby turtles are illegal to buy.

History

It was a fad in the 1970's to have turtles as pets. During that time, there was an abnormally high occurrence of salmonellosis in baby turtle owners. To protect consumers from salmonella, a law was passed in 1976 that made it illegal to sell or distribute turtles with a shell smaller than four inches. Congress picked this size so that small children could no longer fit the baby animals into their mouths as easily.
After that ban was passed, the incidence of salmonella in the United States decreased dramatically. Even though larger turtles carried the same threat, they weren't as popular with children as pets.

In Louisiana, scientists worked for nearly three decades attempting to minimize salmonella in baby turtles. The Concordia Turtle Farm in Wildsville, Louisiana, now farm raises baby turtles and calls itself, "the largest producer of salmonella-free farm-raised turtles."

Today, several bills have been introduced that seek to lift the ban on selling tiny turtles. However, the FDA is doubtful the ban should be lifted. They say that even if baby turtles are sold clean, if kept by small children (which they are likely to be) they probably will not stay that way.

Considerations

Baby turtles may seem like a much lower maintenance pet than, say, a puppy, but they really require a lot of care. Most people put their baby turtles in a tank. A turtle tank needs to have aquarium lighting, a filter system, and water chemicals to keep the water healthy. The water needs to be cleaned about twice a week, and the turtle needs a place to get out of the water every once in awhile.

A turtle owner can expect to spend at least 30 minutes a day caring for the baby turtle. They need fresh food, water and bedding every day. They eat a diet of shrimp, krill and goldfish, which can also get expensive.

Because they are somewhat difficult to care for, baby turtles have an extremely high mortality rate within one year of purchase. However, a properly cared for turtle can live for 25 years or longer.

Types

The turtles that are most commonly kept as pets are box turtles, red or yellow-eared sliders, and soft-shelled turtles. Males have long, fat tails. Females have thin, short tales.

Box turtles are unique in that they hibernate in the fall and winter. If kept as pets, box turtles need to be inside, in a safe place during these months at the very least. In the spring and summer, it is okay to keep box turtles outside.

Red or yellow eared sliders are identified by the colorful stripes they get on the sides of their heads. They are the most popular turtle to buy as a baby.

A soft-shelled turtle looks drastically different from a slider or a box turtle. Their shell is not actually soft, but it is long, thin and smooth. Their faces look different than their cousins, having a pinched look around the nose. Some say that the soft shelled turtle has an elephant face.

Size

Make sure not to buy a baby turtle with a shell that is smaller than four inches because of the health and legality issues. Box turtles are the smallest turtles, growing up to be between six and seven inches long. Sliders grow to be up to 12 inches long. Soft-shelled turtles may grow to be up to 24 inches long.

Growth rate depends on the turtle's diet, genetics and environment. Some turtles may reach maturity in a couple of years, and some may only grow and inch or two in a couple of years. The sad fact is that many people who buy baby turtles are not prepared to take care of them at their adult size, and they simply do not make it to adulthood.

Warning

If you decide to get a pet turtle, remember that they can bite human fingers. Also remember to keep them away from dogs, because dogs can chew their shells.

It may be tempting to paint your turtle's shell, or buy a turtle with a painted shell, but painting a turtle's shell can make it very sick.

Most importantly, remember that turtles can be a health risk. Always supervise children around turtles because children tend to put turtles in their mouths or ingest bacteria from their hands. Because of the health risk, the CDC recommends that people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women, the elderly, and children under five not have turtles as pets.

Resources

• Raising Baby Turtles
• NPR: Bill Seeks to Lift Ban on Baby Turtles