Turtles for Christmas?

Baltimore MD

Description

Are you considering a turtle as a Christmas present for someone? Please consider your options carefully, as turtles are more work than most people consider or want. Most water turtles need roughly 10 gallons per inch of shell, so a typical 5-6" turtle in a pet store will need at least a 55 gallon aquarium. Box turtles and tortoises need a large square foot space of a "tortoise table" rather than an aquarium. Turtles can live 20+ years, and dorm rooms and many landlords do not allow large aquariums (or aquariums over 20 gallons). Eastern box turtles are illegal to keep in VA unless the keeper has registers the turtles with the state by December 31st, 2021. The Mid-Atlantic Turtle & Tortoise Society has turtles for adoption, and care information to help you decide if a turtle is right for you or a loved one. Please visit www.matts.petfinder.com to see some of our available turtles. We'll have a table at the World of Pets Expo in Timonium, MD, January 28-30th, if you'd like to see some of the adoptable turtles in person. We currently have an adult male yellowbellied slider that makes a good beginner turtles, but he needs at least 55 gallon enclosures. Not everyone wants a tank that big in the home. A quality canister filer will cost about $100 - $150, too. Female sliders need at least a 75 gallon tank. Try this care sheet if considering an aquatic turtle https://nebula.wsimg.com/ae4cb36565545a257b1ff6f17a885dc2?AccessKeyId=A3E784782F81D21389AD&disposition=0&alloworigin=1 We also have juvenile red-eared sliders - we can't tell if a slider is a male or female until they're about 4" long, so we don't know the gender of the juveniles. We have an African mud turtle, for those wanting something a little different. Some of our turtles even come with a tank for a small extra fee. MATTS also has a male eastern box turtle for adoption. You can have an eastern box turtle as a pet in Maryland (but not VA, WV, or PA) so long as you have proof that you didn't take if from the wild, and our turtles come with a no sale, no trade adoption contract that serves as proof. Box turtles need a minimum of 8 square feet of space, so most keepers make a "turtle table" to accommodate a box turtle. Aquariums will not be consider adequate housing for box turtles. Box turtles need freshly prepared food every other day, and a substrate to dig and hide in, as well as UVB and heat lights. If considering a box turtle, consider picking up a copy of Tess Cook's Box Turtles book available in most pet stores and some libraries, or visiting her website: http://www.boxturtlesite.info/ This article is excellent for preparing a box turtle home: https://nebula.wsimg.com/53c57892d611153a60ef8bde1be11925?AccessKeyId=A3E784782F81D21389AD&disposition=0&alloworigin=1 Russian tortoises and other small species of tortoises do better in "tortoise tables" than aquariums, and should have at least eight square feet of space indoors. Most Russian tortoises in the US are wild-caught imports, so that's something to keep in mind. Visit www.matts.petfinder.com for more information, and e-mail to request an application. An application must be completed before an adopter is considered, and if approved, a picture of the completed enclosure must be provided before adopting the turtle. Keep in mind that VA will only allow ONE native species per household. Eastern box turtles are illegal unless registered before December 31st, 2021. Maryland residents need a DNR permit to keep a turtle under 4" in shell length. It's easy to get a permit from DNR, though, and they cost $10 a year. A baby/juvenile slider will be 4" in about two years. Here's a great book on aquatic turtles, and it can be downloaded for free at https://www.lulu.com/shop/richard-lunsford/captive-care-of-north-american-water-turtles/ebook/product-17551523.html