The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : Pet Turtle The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : Pet Turtle
Showing posts with label Pet Turtle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pet Turtle. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

30 Best Pet Turtles Experts Always Recommend [w/ Pictures & Prices!]


So, you’ve decided you want to be a turtle owner and you don’t know what turtle is right for you. Do not fret, we’ve got you covered!

Whether you’re embarking on the journey of owning your first turtle or you’re a seasoned turtle owner, this list of 30 potential pet turtles will help you find the right one for you.

With ample options of big or small, aquatic or terrestrial, companion-seeking or solitary turtles, you’re sure to find your next life companion in this list.

To read more on this story, click here: 30 Best Pet Turtles Experts Always Recommend [w/ Pictures & Prices!]


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Turtles Can Make Great Pets, But Do Your Homework First


While turtles might seem like the perfect pet—less work than dogs and cats, more interactive than fish—there are a few things to keep in mind before buying one.

"They are definitely becoming more popular as pets. Some of them are very beautiful and they can be easily purchased over the internet. But there's no such thing as an easy pet," says Katrina Smith, adoptions coordinator for the Maryland-based Mid-Atlantic Turtle and Tortoise Society.

To read more on this story, click here: Turtles Can Make Great Pets, But Do Your Homework First



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Friday, September 25, 2020

Couple Wears Matching Outfits With Their Turtle 20 Pound Tortoise


There is something fun about coordinating outfits. But besides dressing up your spouse to match with you in a hashtagable way, wearing matching outfits with your pet makes you feel closer to them.

One couple is doing just that by twinning with their tortoise. 4-year-old Ethel is one stylish, 20-lb Sulcata tortoise thanks to her two owners, 33-year-old Kasey Kuchinski and 33-year-old Daniel Rodriguez. The trio lives in Sonoma, California.

To read more on this story, click here: Couple Wears Matching Outfits With Their Turtle 20 Pound Tortoise


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Saturday, September 29, 2018

Thinking of Getting a Pet Turtle?


Consider the risks to your health, the earth and the animals

Turtles may seem like low-maintenance pets, but those about to rush out and bring one home should consider that they require years (sometimes decades) of specialized care. Turtles can also transmit disease. Like all wildlife, these reptiles belong in their natural habitats.

To read more on this story, click here: Thinking of Getting a Pet Turtle?



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Friday, November 4, 2016

A Woman in Catonsville is Beside Herself After Her Pet for More Than 78 Years Goes Missing


Baltimore, Maryland - With temperatures in the 70’s on Thursday a Baltimore County pool sits empty.

Catonsville resident, Gloria Todd says she’s had her pet turtle, Moses since she was 5.

“He lived with me till September 12th, for 78 years.” said Gloria.

Now, the slider turtle has slid right out of sight.

“I am really concerned about his health,” said Gloria. “I have a special light for him. He does not eat regular turtle food that you buy at the store listed under  ‘turtle food.’”

When asked what Moses does eat in case someone spots him, but Gloria says, “I’m not going to tell you exactly what he eats.”

She’s concerned about sharing too much of his personal information.

Gloria does tell us Moses is the size of a lunch plate, with yellow lines on its head, neck and shell.

She believes he was snapped up.

“I think he was taken, at dinner time, and he is usually not out that late,” Gloria says.

She hopes someone sees this story and brings Moses home.

“I’m just concerned for whoever has him, knows how to care for him. I’m hoping someone will return him to me.”

Usually Moses stays inside–in the laundry room, but after its vet recommended he get more sunlight, he started spending more time outside.

No word if he is already hibernating.





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Sunday, December 27, 2015

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Warns: Pet Turtles Can Carry Salmonella


Little turtles are popular pet substitutes for families whose children are allergic to cats and dogs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), however, warns the public that the animals can cause salmonella

In 2006, health officials recorded the first multistate salmonella outbreak in the US, which included four cases. From that year until 2011, authorities investigated four more outbreaks, which entailed 394 cases. One of the outbreaks was said to have claimed the life of a 3.5-week-old baby, who was exposed to a tiny turtle

Numbers Linking Salmonella Outbreaks and Turtle Exposure

For the current research, the scientists studied eight outbreaks of salmonella related to small turtles from 2011 to 2014. The total number of cases was 473 and it included those from Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.

The findings showed that children aged below 18, below 5, and below 1 made up 74 percent, 55 percent, and 23 percent of all cases respectively.

For race and ethnicity, Hispanics made up 45 percent of the cases.

Out of the patients who got infected, 28 percent required hospitalization, which commonly ran for three days.

The results of a turtle exposure questionnaire for 102 cases revealed that 80 percent had turtles at home. Almost two-thirds of the patients in this category had direct exposure to a turtle or in its habitat within the week of symptoms onset. About one-third of infants and children aged below 5 also exhibited the same findings.

How Turtles Are Associated with Salmonella

CDC warned that the bacteria may be present even if it's not seen. Salmonella can be found naturally in the gut of turtles and even if the bacteria are there, the animals do not necessarily exhibit signs and symptoms of infection. Aside from that, turtles do not shed the bacteria all the time hence, even if a turtle tested negative in diagnostic investigations, it does not confirm an infection-free state.

In homes, salmonella may be detected in surfaces and waters that turtle have had contact with. In one of the cases encountered by the researchers, a baby was infected with salmonella because feeding bottles were washed in a sink where a pet turtle habitat was also cleaned.

"All turtles - healthy and sick, big and small - can carry Salmonella," said lead author Dr. Maroya Walters from CDC.

Experts Advise Against Having Turtles as Family Pets

The researchers acknowledged that they were not able to track all turtles for sale because it is often illegally sold in unregulated locations such as street events and flea markets. Despite this, Dr. Elizabeth Barnett, from Boston University School of Medicine who wasn't involved in the study, believed that the authors were able to convey the importance of deviating from the idea of having turtles as pets.

"Turtles and other reptiles shouldn't be kept at home or school or any other facilities where there are children under the age of 5," said Walters.

Government Ban on Pet Turtles

Since the 1970s, the U.S. government has banned selling turtles with shells that measure less than 4 inches. Although the ban and risks information were widely advocated, salmonella outbreaks continued to increase.


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Saturday, April 11, 2015

The Sale of Illegal Baby Red-Eared Slider Turtles Continues in Los Angeles' Chinatown and Fashion Districts


The sale of baby red-eared sliders in small plastic aquariums in Los Angeles' Chinatown and Fashion District continues unabated even though the sale of turtles with carapace lengths of four inches or less has been illegal for decades.

According to Los Angeles Downtown News, the baby turtles can be found in many stores in the city's business districts with price tags ranging from $5 to $9 depending on the size of the housing in which the turtles are placed.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman, Andrew Hughan told the paper that it is illegal for the stores to be selling the turtles and that the DFW conducts inspections sporadically in Chinatown and other business districts in the city and if they find stores that are not licensed to sell animals, or are selling turtles with carapace lengths of less than found inches, those animals will be confiscated. Store owners could also be fined up to $1,000 for illegally selling animals. 

The DFW, however, like most state departments in California, has had its budgets cut and doesn't have the resources to continuously police the business districts looking turtle vendors who violate the law.

Before the FDA amended the 1975-era turtle ban law (enacted to reduce the spread of Salmonella) last month, turtles found for sale with carapace lengths of less than four inches were euthanized. The FDA said that alternatives to destruction should be pursued, including raising the animals until the carapace lengths exceed four inches, and donating the animals for scientific and educational purposes.

The reality, Hughan said, is that other than a handful of surprise inspections a year, Fish and Wildlife lacks the resources to stay on top of the turtle vendors. However, should a violation be determined, Hughan said a fine of up to $1,000 can be imposed on the seller.

Red-eared sliders are one of the most popular pet turtles in the reptile hobby. They grow to about 8-10 inches in length and are native to the Mississippi River drainages and can be found in most areas of the United States, including the state of Hawaii. They are also found in many countries in Asia and Europe.

For more information on Red-Eared Slider Turtles, visit the websites below:

Red-Eared Slider Care Sheet 
Turtles in Chinatown




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