Is it cruel to keep a turtle

Think of it this way. I once came across this sickening pet store site that encouraged customers to keep their baby turtles in a 10-gallon tank so that they can stay small and wont have to upgrade the tank.

Like many other animals turtles are opportunistic feeders and will often continue to eat as long as food is available.

Is it cruel to keep a turtle. Thanks for the A2A The answer is a resounding it depends Is the turtle suffering from an incurable illness and would be better off dead. Then it is not cruel to end its life. Are you a farmer raising the turtles for food Turtle soup - Wikipedia.

It is absolutely not a good idea to keep a wild turtle as a pet. Whether or not it is legal varies based on the rules in your state or province but in any case removing a turtle from the wild. Turtles do not really interact with or particularly like humans.

Keep in mind that your pet will mostly interact with you only at feeding time. Though cute turtles and tortoises do not make good pets for children especially because they can transmit salmonella. If you do choose to purchase a turtle or tortoise choose the species carefully.

For example it probably doesnt make sense to have a turtle. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC and the Food and Drug Administration warn against keeping pet reptiles because of the high risk of contracting potentially deadly salmonella. Turtles lizards and amphibians can carry salmonella bacteria on their skin and shells and they can be found in the animals enclosures.

The bacteria can be transmitted just from holding them cleaning. Stunting Growth Is Cruel. I once came across this sickening pet store site that encouraged customers to keep their baby turtles in a 10-gallon tank so that they can stay small and wont have to upgrade the tank.

Even if this is true stunting an animals growth is cruel. They are meant to grow as much as nature intended and I bet this is the reason wild turtles outlive captive turtles despite getting all of their nutritional needs. Space affects health so make sure your turtle.

Turtles are wild animals. They have territories that can be many miles wide. Putting them in a tank is cruel.

Think of it this way. Its like spending the rest of our lives in the bathtub. A turtle needs a large habitat or a pond to approximate nature not a tank.

Turtles usually live about five years. In captivity a well cared for turtle can live 25 50 or more years. Turtles are really messy.

Keep tank decorations to a minimum. Most turtles destroy any attempts at aquascaping. Substrate in a turtle tank only accumulates uneaten food and waste which quickly fouls the water yet some turtle species such as soft-shell turtles which need a soft sand bottom require it.

However for most turtles I dont use any substrate or gravel making cleaning. So yes sticking a tortoise in a small aquarium for its entire life is cruel. But housing a tortoise in the best environment you can provide to meet its needs is acceptable.

And regarding keeping an animal for our own amusement or enjoyment. Again I dont have a problem as long as the animals needs are met and it isnt stressed unnecessarily. Like many other animals turtles are opportunistic feeders and will often continue to eat as long as food is available.

Turtles will also beg for food when you pass by their enclosure or venture near that coveted food shelf. While its hard to resist overfeeding a turtle can lead to serious consequences. Coates warns that obesity and hepatic lipidosis fatty liver disease are two conditions that are related to overfeeding pet turtles.

Wild sea turtles swim long distances in clear waters. So imagine the cruelty of trapping one in a small tank. Packed together thousands of turtles at the Cayman Turtle Centre spend their whole lives fighting for space in cramped tanks.

The shallow tanks do not allow their natural behavior of diving and foraging for food. Instead the turtles get sick and stressed. Their behavior changes and they turn.

Its also cruel to the animal. Most of them dont adjust very well to captivity. They often dont eat very well.

Theyre not used to the captive diet. Theyre not used to people. And theyre not used to being in enclosed spaces.

So again if you see a turtle or a tortoise in the wild its not recommended that you keep it as a pet. In fact its illegal. Never buy a turtle.

Sales of animals soar after animated movies about them are released but once the novelty wears off many of them are ignored or abandoned. Be a superhero for turtles by pledging never to purchase one from a pet storepick up a plush animal for your little one instead. If you get a turtle and then decide you cant care for the animal there are not many options.

Rescue groups are inundated with calls to take them. People sometimes turn turtles loose thinking they are freeing them but its typically illegal to release turtles outdoors. Turtles let loose might die and they might carry disease that kills other turtles.

If they live they can out-compete native species for food. Turtles are beautiful creatures and you can easily fall in love with thembut most people dont keep them in right way. If you are interested in turtles too and are willing to by one here is a almost complete guide to keeping turtles.

By the way this i my first instructable so please FAVORITE it. If you keep more than one terrapin youll need to provide a basking spot for each animal and make sure they are getting enough food or they may become aggressive towards each other. Reptiles can carry Salmonella.

Wash your hands before and after handling the terrapin or its equipment to reduce the spread of infection. Some breeds of turtle is really illegal to keep as pet in India for the list of those breeds you can google. Even if you buy one which is legal please take a certificate from the seller which clarifies which breed of turtle you have bought and it allows you to keep it as pet.

Is it inhumane to keep exotic animals as pets. My answer Only if you dont care for them properly. I cant speak as a general exotics expert.

As a reptile husbandry specialist and care consultant my specialty is only in one set of exotic animals. Another possible workaround is to only ever feed the turtle outside the tank. Also please consider that your turtle will grow to 9-13 inches.

At that point it requires something in the nature of 90-120 gallon tank and its quite cruel to keep it in anything.