Is it bad to own a turtle when pregnant?

Question

I was going to buy my son a turtle but I am 8 months prego, I was wondering if it is bad for the baby or for me to be around a turtle? I wont hold it or anything but just having it around? Its tank will be in our garage....Any help would be appreciated!

Answer 1

No, it won't be a problem (you need to be more worried about the cat box).  Just make sure your son keeps the tank clean (is he old enough for this responsibility?).

You didn't say if it's a tortoise, land or water turtle.  If it's a water turtle - the larger the tank, stronger the filter - the easier to keep clean.

Congratulations, btw!

Answer 2

quatic turtles under 4" cause salmanela and will make you sick.

You should wash after holding them anyways. But they cost so much.

http://flickr.com/photos/29035692@N03/

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.. And in a pond for almost 7 yrs now. Got them on my 18th birthday.

Some info to help you make a decision. This is what they take.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! When I got these two 36 yrs ago all we had in back then  were goldfish to feed , so after 36 yrs and still going strong. They can eat goldfish!

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

I spend about 175.00 a month on fish ,goldfish and minnows. An Extra  75.00 on leafy greens and dried cubed tubiflex worms.

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, but 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.

Answer 3

nope, its completley fine to have a turtle, especially since your going to keep the tank in the garage.

just make sure to wash your hands REALLY well after touching your turtle, but since your not planning to do so, you should have no problems.

Answer 4

If the turtle is like very big and walks on the ground like we do then it is bad for the baby cause it could bite the baby but if its in the garage then it is not bad to have a turtle.

Answer 5

no not really because it aint goin to do notin.When u have the baby make sure that the baby isnt around it because the baby might get bit but other then that it should be fine

Answer 6

yeah, turtle is known to eat babies and cause ringworm