WEST VALLEY VIEW (Litchfield Park, Arizona) 20 May 05 Every turtle has his day - May 23 is World Turtle Day (Beth Kristin Ott)
Although turtles aren’t your typical party animals, they have something to celebrate this month.
May 23 is World Turtle Day. That’s right, time to come out of the shell and honor America’s most popular pet reptile.
World Turtle Day was initiated in 2000 by the American Tortoise Rescue, a turtle and tortoise rescue organization founded in 1990. The group brings attention to turtle conservation issues.
Nearly 2 million American households keep at least one turtle as a pet, a 2002 study by the American Pet Product Manufacturers Association found.
Keeping a pet turtle isn’t difficult, however, there are some particular needs to consider when caring for the scaly critters.
“You need to have a big enough environment,” said Alexis Garcia, pet care manager at the Avondale PetsMart. “We have ornate wood turtles right now. They’ll get up to 10 inches around. I recommend no smaller than a 40-gallon habitat.”
Many types of turtles can also live in outdoor enclosures, Garcia said. Owners simply need to create a space that includes shade.
PetsMart usually carries turtles, although the type varies, Garcia said. Red-eared sliders are popular semi-aquatic pets that the store sometimes sells.
“Turtles are pretty easy,” Garcia said. “I’d recommend them for ages 10 and up.”
Turtles are omnivores, typically feasting on a variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as some insects. Turtles can bite but usually don’t unless fingers get in the way when feeding them by hand.
“They do carry salmonella, so you have to wash your hands after handling them,” Garcia said.
Protecting the desert tortoise
The desert tortoise is protected in the state of Arizona with strict guidelines for adopting the long-living land dwellers.
Tortoises may not be taken from the wild. They must be adopted through Arizona Game & Fish or the Desert Tortoise Council. Families wishing to add a tortoise to their habitat must have a fenced yard and tortoises must be kept away from dogs, swimming pools, poisonous plants and pesticides.
Tortoises are solitary animals in the wild. Anyone interested in adopting more than one should have separate habitats for them because those of the same sex will fight and the opposite sex will procreate.
Sam Huselton, building coordinator for Arizona Game & Fish, has two tortoises of her own that she keeps in separate outdoor enclosures.
“They make wonderful pets,” Huselton said. “They are amazing creatures. They have character, and you’d be surprised how fast they can actually move.”
A tortoise search was conducted by the University of Arizona at White Tank Mountain Regional Park recently, and no tortoises were found.
“They found habitats, but no tortoises,” Ranger Mark Lansing said. “A few years ago, we had one around here and people kept bringing him into the Visitor’s Center. I imagine they have moved to more remote places.”
That is why the Sonoran desert tortoise is endangered.
“The tortoises we have in the wild are threatened due to lack of habitat,” Huselton said. “Once they’ve been in captivity, they cannot be released again either.”
For information on desert tortoises, go to www.deserttortoise.org or call 623-582-9806 for tortoise adoption information.
“They can live up to 90 years,” Huselton said. “If you have a tortoise, you may have to put it in your will.”
Every turtle has his day - May 23 is World Turtle Day