What turtle should i get??

Question

hi all i live in australia so tht narrows me down to nattive speices plz help. im not sure wat to get a plz give me some breeders prefferablely in sydney if not breeders that are willing to ship, need care sheets and i want thier pro and cons thanx

Answer 1

http://awesomeguppies.wordpress.com

Answer 2

I don't know about Australia, but here in the States you can walk into any pet store and find several different kinds of turtles.  I had a garden variety box turtle for years; I didn't really want a box turtle, but I won a free aquarium when I was a kid and my mom wouldn't let me put fish in it.

The pros of a box turtle are that they are extremely sturdy creatures.  As long as they have a heat lamp, some food, and some water, they're pretty much indestructible.  My uncle adopted a small turtle he'd found on the side of the road after it had been run over by a car; its only damage was a cracked shell.  They also have really long lifespans.  I got my turtle when I was six, and it was already a fully mature turtle.  Ten years later, when I couldn't take it to college, I let it go wild after habituating it to the outdoors.

Box turtles are also really low maintenance.  Cleaning out the aquarium of a box turtle takes about ten minutes.  Every couple of days I'd put my turtle in a tub with shallow water and let it wade around for an hour (or more if I forgot about him, he never seemed to mind).  Then I'd let it walk around free and find him a few hours later behind a couch or somewhere enclosed.  Compare this to water turtles, whose water needs to be changed, and you may have to buy filters and other accessories.

One of the main cons of turtles is that they are very dull.  They are easily the most boring pets around; in the winter, they sort of hibernate, and they really don't move for weeks.  When they do move, it isn't interesting.  The first couple times it eats is interesting, but the novelty fades.  The underside of its head (its chin, I suppose) feels really cool.  Putting them on their backs is cruel, because it can kill them.

Another big con for any kind of reptile or pet that is considered "exotic" is that your local vet might not be equipped to care for it; this may not be true of your garden variety box turtle, since lots of people have them, but you never know.  When you have to go to a reptile specialist, everything from the visit to the treatment is more expensive.

One thing I'd suggest is getting a realistic plastic turtle and keep it outside the aquarium.  My turtle always went over to where the fake turtle was outside, no matter how frequently I moved it around.

Also, wash your hands after handling your turtle, since some varieties can carry salmonella.

Answer 3

http://www.kingsnake.com/oz/turtles/turt...

i found a list of turtles that live in australia, i guess your best bet is is a couple questions you have to ask yourself

what can i afford?

can i devote the time to it?

will i be able to supply all the things it needs?

just make sure that you can most of all, afford the vet. turtles need good care. there shells are tuff, but they are as soft as butter.