They won’t meow, bark or tweet through the night. And while they’ll beg for food as sweetly as any dog or cat, they don’t need to be walked or groomed.
We’re talking about turtles, which can make safe and satisfying companions, as long as you buy them from a breeder or pet store.
Turtles have had a checkered past. They were once wildly popular, but in the ’70s, the fear of the salmonella poisoning prompted a ban on all turtles smaller than a certain size.
“Federal law states that a retailer cannot sell a turtle less than 4 inches long across its shell,’ says Dr. Stephen Zawistowski of the ASPCA. “This is meant primarily for public health against salmonella.”
Salmonella is a normal part of any reptile’s environment, which is why you should always wash your hands after handling these animals. Smaller turtles are particularly dangerous, since young children may be tempted to put them in their mouths.
While some street vendors illegally sell baby turtles, the best and safest place to get a turtle is from a breeder or pet store.
Unlike box turtles, mud turtles, land turtles and snapping turtles, which are difficult to keep, the turtles known as red-eared sliders make wonderful pets. Dark green with yellow lines and distinctive red patches on both sides of the head, sliders are easy to care for and easy on the wallet, too.
“Sliders are the least expensive turtles, going for about $9 or $10,” says Zawistowski, adding that a complete aquarium setup, including a tank, lighting, filters and gravel, will go for about $100.
Generally, sliders can live about 20 years, but some have been reported to live up to 40 years. Females grow to about nine or 10 inches and about 3 pounds; males are slightly smaller.
“But turtles never really stop growing,” says Dr. James Morrissey of Manhattan’s Animal Medical Center. “As they mature, they just grow very slowly.”
Since turtles are aquatic creatures, they do best in standard glass aquariums. The size of the tank depends on the size of the turtle. For an adult about 5 inches across, a 30-gallon tank will do.
Fill it with enough water so that if the turtle were to flip over somehow, it could use the water to put itself right-side up. The rule of thumb: Take the turtle’s size and add three-quarters of that for “turnover” room. For a turtle that’s 4 inches across, plan on adding 7 inches of water; for a 5-inch slider, plan on having a little less than 9 inches.
Turtles are territorial and crave their own space. Even the opposite sexes don’t like sharing a tank, so you may want to house them separately – or place them in a bigger tank with a rock in it to block their views of one another.
You’ll also need a tank cover, preferably one with a built-in light, since turtles love to bask in the light. Provide an area in the aquarium where the turtle can climb out of the water to dry off. Buy a filter to keep the water clean. And no matter how good the filtration system, turtles will do best if their water is changed about once a week.
Once the tank is set up, you might want to make it more festive by adding an underwater plant or two. Make sure, though, that the plants aren’t poisonous, and stay away from the plastic stuff: It’s no good for turtles. Stones are always a nice touch, but if they’re too small, the turtle could swallow them. It’s important that anything you place in the tank is clean and soap-free.
Feeding turtles commercial pellets is fine, especially pellets that have calcium and vitamin A. But turtles thrive on a varied diet, so feed them crickets, feeder fishes, fruit and vegetables periodically. Never serve raw hamburger, chicken or other meats, which may contaminate the water.
Then sit back, relax and have a shell of a time.