Is a Turtle or Tortoise Right For Me?

-by Jessica Ruttan (ruttanj@gmail.com)

Many people use the terms turtle and tortoise interchangeably, but they are actually very different animals. In terms of care, the biggest differences are in diet, size of their enclosure, and humidity levels.

~ Box Turtles (Ornates and 3-Toeds)

Box turtles need to be kept in a humid environment. If they are kept indoors, you should be sure to use a substrate that can retain moisture, but not so much that your turtle is constantly sitting in water. Daily misting is also recommended. If your turtle is kept outdoors, the enclosure can be kept cool and humid through the use of good soil, live plants and daily watering. If you live in an especially dry area like Arizona or Texas, misters that are set to come on several times a day are recommended. The size of your enclosure depends on the size of your turtle and how many you have. Several baby turtles (2 inches or less) can be kept in a 10-20 gallon aquarium or tub. Turtles over 2-3 inches can be kept outdoors. One to two juvenile turtles can be kept in an enclosure measuring 2'x2'. One to two adult turtles are said to need an enclosure at least 3'x3'. However, these are minimum measurements and your turtle would surely be happier in a larger area. Also keep in mind that the more turtles you have, the bigger your enclosure needs to be. Box turtles eat a variety of foods that include live insects and fresh fruits and vegetables. While a baby turtle's diet consists mainly of live insects (earthworms, crickets, pill bugs, mealworms, etc), fruits and vegetables are still important. Baby turtles also need calcium powder sprinkled over their food to help with proper shell and bone development. While many adult turtles eat more fruits and vegetables in their diet, live bugs are still important for them as well. Therefore, if you are not comfortable keeping and handling live insects, a box turtle is not for you.

Do I Have to Keep My Turtle Outside?

You do not HAVE to keep your turtle outside, but they do NEED natural sunlight at least once a week. So, if you keep your pet inside (especially babies) you need to make time to take them outside weekly under supervision. During the period of time that your pet is inside, it needs to be kept under a UVB light. The light provides vitamins from the sun that are necessary for the survival of your pet.

Do Turtles Bite?

Ornate box turtles are a bit more feisty than 3-toeds. Either species may accidentally bite you if you try to hand feed them and your finger gets too close to their mouth. However, ornates are more likely to try and bite you just because they may not want to be touched. They can definitely be tamed and worked with, but in general, they are slightly more aggressive. 3-toed box turtles are naturally shy. An untamed 3-toed will simply pull into it's shell. I have never had one even open it's mouth at me, let alone try to bite me. 3-toeds are also capable of being tamed so that they are not as shy.

I am Thinking of Buying a Turtle for My Young Son/Daughter; Is That a Good Idea?

Buying a turtle for a young child can work. However, young people and children are going through periods of rapid growth and change in their life and could very easily lose interest or move away long before the turtle has reached the end of its natural life. (Assume at least 20-30 years for the turtles available on this site). Hence, when a parent buys a turtle for a child (or a child buys it themselves), the parent will need to make sure that the child is taking proper care of it, staying interested in it, and continuing to feed and water it daily so the animal does not die a slow death of malnutrition. Also, all reptiles are capable of carrying salmonella (which is communicable to humans) in their feces so it is important for a parent to make sure that their child always washes their hands after handling their reptile or cleaning its enclosure, and that s/he sanitizes the cage properly. It is also important to consider whether you will be living in housing that permits owning reptiles and the insects they eat.