How legitimate is purchasing turtles on the internet?

Question

I am looking to purchase a rare, expensive turtle on the internet because there are no breeders in my area. Has anyone ever done this before? If so, were the turtles alive and were they quality? I'm a little uneasy about getting a pet through the mail.

Answer 1

I would highly suggest that you never ever buy anything off the internet, especially animals! When you buy things off the internet you never know for sure what you are getting and if it is worth the money that you paid for it. I would suggest finding an exotic pets store where they specialize in the unique pets or a breeder. Pet stores generally have the common pets and know very little specific details about anything beyond the common. When you go to a pet store they have so many different animals and run of the mill employees, not experts. If you go to an exotic pet store or see a breeder you can actually hold, touch and look at the one that you will take home. You can check it for problems and ask tons of questions and get real answers. When you order online, who knows what will be in the box when you receive it in the mail. It could be dead, it could be diseased, it could be the wrong animal. I would HIGHLY suggest a breeder or a pet shop that specializes in the breed you are looking for. Good luck!

Answer 2

please don't buy 'em off the internet buy 'em in a pet shop for a really cheap price

Answer 3

not sure, it depends on who ships them I guess, they could arrive dead. I went to the pet store to get one for my son, the lady told me they carry salmonella. Not all but they can. Whats wrong with the nearest pet store?

Answer 4

I would much rather buy a reptile off of the internet than from a pet store. I'm also guessing that the previous answerers have never had an animal shipped to them. All reputable breeders offer live arrival guarantees and will replace any sick or dead animals, plus they should know how to pack them well. I have had many reptiles shipped to me, including chameleons a few times, which are notorious for being fragile. I have never had a single problem ever. I have also shipped many reptiles myself. I once shipped 40 small frogs across country via 2 day mail (that's how the customer wanted them shipped) and every single one survived. I expected a few casualties, but all made the trip. You can always go to faunaclassifieds.com board of inquiry and do a search on the prospective breeder/dealer and see numerous reviews of them and other people's experiences with them. I do advise against turtlesale.com, if that happens to be the website you're looking at, as they have many bad reviews.

Answer 5

DONT DO IT!! i bought 2 turtles from turtlesale.com and they both got shipped to my house DEAD!! i will NEVER buy a pet online again. it is very cruel.

Answer 6

Legally, most pet stores in most areas cannot sell baby turtles under 6 inches due to children catching salmonella from them (by putting them inside their mouths) back in the 70's - so certain laws when into place.

Turtles do/can carry salmonella - which does not harm them, but may harm you. I did get sick with salmonella-like symptoms after my turtle bit me, but it only lasted a couple days.

People go online to buy them because it is legal for babies to be sold by and to hobbyists at that age - pet shops cannot sell them so young.

The problem, as with many animals, is that MOST TURTLES DO NOT SEE THEIR FIRST BIRTHDAY - regardless of how well you take care of them, their odds are slim.  

The other problem is that you are looking at purchasing EXPENSIVE, RARE turtles? Many online retailers sell them cheaper than pet stores.

I would definitely be hesitant if I were you - go to a pet store or other breeder who can guarantee survival for at LEAST a 15-day period. Also, buy a turtle whose shell and skin you can inspect for cracks, infections, or other signs of how healthy it is.  

Answer 7

Please don't buy live pets and have them shipped, in a plastic bag filled wilth water and air and people tossing you all over in trucks and ..gosh it saddens me to even wtrite this. They never last. Check your fish and game dept and shelters fore slider rescues. People dump, toss these guys all day long. Petco?

They cost more than you would ever expect.

I know .Sliders, cooters , painted, map, yellow bellied all are basically the same and require the same basic care.

I have had my 2 slider girls for 36 yrs. Plus an 8 and 5 yr old and now a 2 yr old adopted from this site.. Been in a pond for almost 7 yrs now. Got them on my 18th birthday! I am 54 do you realize how long I have carted these 2 girls around for? The money I h ave spent. I know with 5 in a pond spend up to 225.00 a month in food,greens, SOME dried worm cubes and fish!

The bigger the environment the bigger the healthier the turtle. Remember 10 gallons for every inch of turtle. I have used kiddy pools and plastic pond liners from most nurseries and worked great.

Did you know that they need to bask under a reptile light UVA/UVB for 8 to 10 hrs a day for the vitamin D that they need to grow. So that means getting a turtle dock also.

Leave the heater on 75 to 78 degrees always. These turtles in captivity do not hibernate their eating may slow down some but they will not hibernate.

Their water needs to be clean otherwise they get sick easily from dirty water cause they p**p allot.

Total Body length: 5-8" average, up to 12 inches max. Life span: 15-25+ years

Males have the longer front nails and are used in mating. And are considered mature at about 5 yrs old. You can’t start sexing till about 3” across.

You need a good filter system! Gravel larger than they can swallow.

You need to feed them feeder guppies, goldfish or minnows for protein and calcium daily drop 20 or so in the tanks and watch them disappear in a few days!

This way when they swim for their dinner they get exercise also!

They sleep at the bottom of rivers, streams. lakes or ponds or your tank to avoid predators like coyotes, foxes, owls, hawks, possums, raccoons and even some wide mouth bass.

TOSS in a bird cuttle bone in the water for calcium. it will dissolve real slow and if they eat it that’s fine!!

They can have garden worms, meal worms, snails, crickets, flies, crayfish small frogs, dragon flies and anything that moves only as a treat.

They need leafy greens Romaine, Butter lettuce. (Iceberg and cabbage are bad for them, any other leafy greens will do) for vitamin A that they need at least 3 to 4 times a week.

You probably already know that they get sick easily, shell rot, respiratory sickness, lopsided swimming, coughing, blowing bubbles from their nose.

**Swollen cloudy eyes means lacking in Vitamin A. Which we all need for good eyes. Google ‘vegetables with Vitamin A.

Contact the “www.anapsid.org/societies, for a turtle vet / rescue in your city and state.

I wish you luck. Sorry for the rant, if you just scan this site you will see so many issues with sliders not cared for properly.