Turtle.?

[acidburn01]

Does anyone have a turtle.? My 8 year old is BEGGING for a pet turtle and a quick Google search says something like a red eared slider makes a good beginner turtle because they're easy to care for, to interact with and are real friendly. But the guy at my local PetSmart said they're not real interactive because you can't take them out of their tank because they're fully aquatic.? Can anyone give me some info on turtles and if any of this is true and what you recommend as a first pet for a kid.? Something that stays small, is friendly/docile and easy to care for, something she can build a relationship with and interact with outside their tank for a little bit.

 

[xp29]

Aquatic turtles are friggen nasty. You have to clean the water almost daily, and they STINK!!! a non-aqutic would be better in my opinion.

 

[acidburn01]

Aquatic turtles are friggen nasty. You have to clean the water almost daily, and they STINK!!! a non-aqutic would be better in my opinion.

What kind of non-aquatic do you recommend for a kid wanting something "playful".? I guess something she can interact with daily.

 

[xp29]

Honestly i don't know turtles very well. The only one i ever had was an aquatic that my girlfriend brought home from work. It was wild caught and in very bad shape. Some kids found it at the local pond and brought it into her office. I rehabed it and put it back in a pond.

 

[Rocky2022]

I agree with @xp29 I wanted one and decided against it. The tortoises outlive us-
Too much cleaning, less play

 

[Jewenyann]

Consider a box turtle or a Russian tortoise if you want something interactive.

 

[acidburn01]

Consider a box turtle or a Russian tortoise if you want something interactive.

Well, we compromised and told her she has to care for something with a much smaller life span, to prove she can even care for a living thing, much less something that lives at least 30 years. So we got her a dwarf hamster.

 

[Jewenyann]

Consider a box turtle or a Russian tortoise if you want something interactive.

Turtles can be great pets, but, indeed, red-eared sliders are mostly aquatic. They're smaller, more terrestrial, and can be taken out for short interactions. You can read more about them at the Tortoise Owner blog. They can make excellent companions for kids!

 

[Emerilthedragon]

Consider the hinge-back tortoise it is a pretty good tortoise that lives for about the same amount as a red-eared slider and is very small about 9-inch