Where can i find a small swimming turtle?

Question

Where can i find a small swimming turtle?

Answer 1

Most people get "classroom" turtles through online.  That is, they say they use them for educational purposes as pets so they can be bought as hatchlings (about the size of a quarter or smaller).  There are quite a few dependable breeders to be found online, just look at source reviews on turtleforum.com.

All reptiles can carry salmonella, turtles included.  The reason there was a big turtle scare in the 60s-70s was because every parent was buying their children one of these "hardy" pets, and the children were putting them in their mouth (as children often do with small things) or weren't washing their hands- which is something that should be done with ALL reptiles if you really care about getting salmonella.

There are some aquatic turtles that don't grow too big: Reeves are the most common "exotic" turtles as they come from china and males may only reach a carapace length of about 5".  However, Reeve's aren't exactly the strongest swimmers: they climb on foliage and plants from the bottom to the top of the water.  They are only semi aquatic, so they need about 40land:60water, with water never exceeding a depth of 16".

Another small type are common musk turtles, which are very common in the states.   Males grow to be about the same size as Reeves (around 5") and they are bottom walkers: they walk along the bottom.  They are only slightly more capable swimmers than Reeves, though I wouldn't put them in anything deeper than 16-20".

Souther Painteds are the smallest painted turtles and are somewhat common depending on your region:  Males grow to be about 5" and females around 8".  They are excellent swimmers but still require maybe 20% surface area for basking (I would personally do an above-tank basking area).

Some map subspecie-males (like the black-knobbed or the cagle) grow to be a little over 4" and are also excellent swimmers and can be found readily depending on your location.  I'd go with a setup similar to southern painteds, although they are MUCH more fussy about water condition.  And a fussy turtle can lead to a dead turtle without proper care.  The Cagle is probably the least fussy about water condition, but still requires more care and monitoring than the reeves, common musky or southern painted.

Red Eared Sliders are easily the most common turtle in the states, but they grow to be around 10" (females upwards of 12") long, so you'd need a tank on the better-side of 100 gallons to best house an adult one by its lonesome.

There are a few other MALE turtles (females are often quite a bit larger than male) that are small, but those are some common region-specific ones in the US.  Your absolute best bet would be an online breeder, as they offer a bigger selection and are often in much better shape than those found in local-retail pet stores.

As a general rule of thumb you would need a tank that has about 10 gallons for every one inch of carapace length (straight length of the shell).  However, this can differ between species of turtle, so you may want to look at the care sheets on http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/ to see how big of an enclosure you need for whatever specific kind of turtle.

Answer 2

Um... in the water. *runs away*

No, seriously, if you're looking for one as a pet, find out everything you can about care and maintenance FIRST, and be prepared to spend about $200 on setup alone (UVB, Heat lamp, filter, tank, food, little extras for the tank, etc., etc.) IF you want to keep it healthy (I assume you do.) Most pet stores sell various aquatic turtles. Please do your part to let wild turtle populations stay wild. And if you want to know how old it is, ask before you buy it, there is no way to reliably tell the age of any reptile without knowing when it hatched.

Sorry I'm not giving you a care sheet. I firmly believe it's up to the person getting the pet to do the research on how to take care of it.

Answer 3

It is now illegal to sell a turtle with a shell length of less than 4". The law isn't very well-enforced, though and a lot of Y!A questions start with "I bought this baby turtle in Chinatown ...." The turtles usually die before the first year is up.

Wild turtles can be collected in ponds, wetlands, and streams, if you know what you are doing.

Answer 4

These were very common in pet stores 40 years ago, but were eventually banned because of salmonella concerns. The species was something called a red eared slider because of the marks on the turtle's head. They were about the size of a silver dollar, around 1.5 inches . (Silver dollars aren't common anymore, either). The few baby turtles which survived suburbian life grew into adults about a foot long. Often the lucky ones were returned to ponds when they outgrew the little quart sized terrariums manufactured for them. This species is still common in suburban areas if the ponds are well established and not overfished. Females go ashore and build a nest in a hidden location. In the south, an alligator's nest is often a good place to find turtle eggs. The female turtle uses the mother alligator to guard her eggs as well as the alligator's. Of course, raiding alligator nests for tutrle eggs is not a good idea.

Probably the best source of small turtles are local reptile fairs where people with reptile collections meet on a monthly basis. Collectors and breeders offer many kinds of reptiles and amphibians for sale. Adult turtles are most often offered, but sometimes babies can be found as well. Stocking a pond with baby turtles is easy to do, but raising them indoors requires an understanding of what a turtle needs to stay healthy. If a pet is desired, reading about turtles before getting a pet is the best way of keeping it healthy.