There are plenty of places you can find turtles for sale. Believe it or not, turtles get turned in to animal shelters just like dogs, cats and rabbits do! But if you are looking to buy a turtle, the easiest way to find turtles for sale is to visit your local pet shop. Of course, how do you know which kind of turtle you should take home?
Before picking out one of the turtles for sale, it is best to do some research to decide which kind of turtle will be best for your home. This will make your trip to the pet store much easier.
Things to consider before buying your first turtle:
1. How much space do you have? Most people use fish tanks for their turtle habitats—do you have enough room for a forty gallon tank? Forty gallons is the optimal size for an adult turtle habitat. This is because turtles need both dry land and swimming water. A small tank will not give you enough room to provide your turtle with both.
2. Do you want a land based animal (which is easier if you do not have room for a large tank) or a water based animal (which can be more fun)? Land based turtles are often easier to take care of as their water is for drinking, not swimming or living. On the other hand, water turtles can be more fun to watch.
3. Do you want a domestic turtle or an exotic turtle? There are places that you can find exotic turtles for sale, but if you are on a limited budget you might want to consider a domestic turtle. Chances are you'll have everything you need for a perfect domestic turtle habitat in your back yard, whereas an exotic turtle might need some very specific and expensive habitat adaptations.
4. Southern or Northern? Turtles that are native to southern and tropical areas might be harder to deal with for a person living in a northern area (and vice versa). It is probably best, especially if this is your first turtle, to choose a turtle from an environment most like the one in which you currently live.
5. How many turtles do you want? If you want to have a lot of turtles, but don't want to have to buy all of the turtles for sale, you might consider getting a male and a female turtle of the same species and letting them mate. You might consider doing this anyway as some pet stores will let you trade the babies in for food and supplies.
These are just a few of the things to consider when choosing which kind of turtle to take home. It is a good idea to do your research and decide what kind of turtle you want before heading to the pet store. Once at the pet store, if you don't have a plan, it can be hard to decide which one of the turtles for sale that you should take home.
Pet Turtle Care Tip #1
Turtles are members of the Reptile family and they are some of the oldest living creatures on the planet. They have been around for more than two hundred million years. This makes them as old as the dinosaurs. There are hundreds of different kinds of turtles all over the planet.
Pet Turtle Care Tip #2
Sea turtles are the most popular of all of the turtles. These are also some of the largest creatures—some sea turtles can grow to more than six feet in length and weigh hundreds of pounds. Scientists think that sea turtles are actually land creatures that went back into the water and never came out. Over time their limbs evolved to make them stronger swimmers and to keep them in the water: their front appendages are actually flippers.
Pet Turtle Care Tip #3
All turtles, even sea turtles, are air breathing creatures. While some turtles can stay under the water for hours at a time, they all must surface at least once a day to stay alive. There is one turtle, the giant turtle that only has to surface once a day to take in air. There are some studies being done to see if some species of turtle might be able to draw oxygen from their cells much like some fish use their gills to breathe.
