Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi forum!

Need help on water turtles. What turtle is best for novice? I would like to get somthing cb and am not looking for sliders due to sam. Thinking of a baby painted turtle? Any ideas?

thanks everyone

Kalani

Ok,
Let me start off by saying, having a baby Painted Turtle as a starter turtle is not a good idea. Most will die within weeks to a month. They require a great deal of sunlight and alot of vitamins and calcium. I'd say a good starter turtle would be either a baby Snapping Turtle or a Baby Musk Turtle. Both will eat practicly anything. You'd just have to watch out for the jaws. Or I'd just recommend an adult Painted Turtle.
Michael Fedzen

Hey,

Yea I agree with Michael and Colchicine. I've had 2 baby painteds die on me despite having provided them with similar setups as I did with baby red-ears, maps, red-bellies, etc. One died after it developed shell problems while living with some RES (i've heard it's best to keep painteds alone). The other, eh...died a day after it got shipped (traumatized?). The baby musks that I've had are surprisingly strong despite being so small and adult turtles never gave me any problems.

Question: How does salmonella affect turtles directly or indirectly? Can they die from it? Thanks.

Johnny

Oh, and I have a 3rd painted baby now...started off being kind of weak but I think he's doing much better--good appetite, swims well, etc. =)

Johnny

Read the link I provided. Salmonella can be part of the normal flora that is found in the intestines, it is in one of the many symbiotic bacteria that helps us break down our foods into products we can use. Not all salmonella is pathogenic, as most organisms that have this showed no types of disease symptoms. It will not kill turtles, just like it will not kill a human. In fact, if you were to get it the only thing a doctor could do for you is to tell you to get rest and drink lots of fluid, there is no other treatment for it. The only time it becomes a problem is if the person is very young or old or has an immune system problem.
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...the oldest task in human history: to live on a piece of land without spoiling it."
Aldo Leopold (1938)

"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."
Calvin and Hobbes (Scientific Progress Goes 'Boink', 1991)

"not looking for sliders due to sam"

I am wondering what this statement means. If this is in reference to salmonella, then you have a little bit of reading to do! Being a slider has nothing to do with the possibility of transmission of salmonella. You're simply buying into a stereotype and a gross exaggeration. Do a search at the Center of Disease Control web site, you will see that any pet you can have in your house can be a carrier of salmonella. In fact, cats can even give you the plague! Of all the reported cases of salmonella poisoning in the course of the year, only 2 to 5 percent of those are reptile related. The type of turtle you decide on should not be dictated by the chances of getting salmonella, it should be dictated by the level of care and commitments you're willing to provide.

http://www.arav.org/SalmonellaOwner.htm

I don't think that a baby turtle of any species is good for a novice, too many things can go wrong and not all of them are meant to survive. Your best chance of succeeding is to adopt an unwanted adult turtle from a local reptile rescue or turtlehomes.org. That way you would have one that is already established in captivity and feeding, and most of all nobody is making money off of the sale of a live animal.
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...the oldest task in human history: to live on a piece of land without spoiling it."
Aldo Leopold (1938)

"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."
Calvin and Hobbes (Scientific Progress Goes 'Boink', 1991)

A baby turtle is a bad bet for a novice keeper. Of aquatics that are commonly available (but you can always go to Kingsnake classifieds, keeping in mind that you will pay a considerable amount for shipping in addition to the price of the turtle) the plain old Red Eared Slider is fairly hardy, if purchased at greater than 4", as is all that will be avilable over the counter in pet shops. If you live in a major urban area, you may be within driving distance of the many reptile shows (sales) that are held throughout the country (check Kingsnake's listings). My personal favorite for hardiness, although they are not beautiful, are the various species of African Mud Turtles of the genera Pelusious and Pelomedusa. They usually eat anything, and adults sometimes show up in larger pet shops. I have several that have been in my collection 18-20 years.