General Care Discussion :: General Questions

[KyleRasmussen]

Okay, here are some general questions:
Can turtles walk or just slider their bellies along with them, like can they lift their shell of the ground?

If it is suggested to "walk you turtles" out side or inside how do you do that? With a turt leash or just keeping a eye on them?

How long can they be kept out of water?

If my turtle is three years old and 4X3 inches(when out of his shell) is it safe for him to roam outside by him self, or if I'm near, or will a bird try to eat him?

When you clean their tank, are you supposed to just filter out some water with a syphoner or actually dump all the water out and scrub it? Or alternate?

When you are holding your turtle do they try to crawl out of you hand?

If you are laying down,and the turtlle is on your stomach does yours ever jump off you or run so fast that you can't catch him/her?

Thankyou for all of your time

[missibsu]

I suggest reading through some of the older posts on the forum. A lot of these questions have already been answered.

There is no such thing as a turtle leash. If you take your pet outside he or she is your responsibility to keep an eye on. They are quick and will burrow under the grass. It isn't a matter of a bird eating them, you shouldn't let them get that far away from you. If you are setting up an outside enclosure for them to stay in unsupervised, then depending on where you live will depend on the predators you will need to watch for. People in florida for instance will need to watch for larger birds. My guess is racoons will be your biggest concern.

Cleaning the tank...partial water changes once a weeek, and a complete empty and clean once a month. That is my routine. The complete clean means the filter too. For the partial change I syphon out the water and try to syphon any particles that I see floating at the same time.

Keeping your turtle out of the tank for general cleaning is not a problem. If for some reason (drastic) you had to dry tank them over night or for a move, there are things that you can do for them...such as a damp cloth on the bottom and a dry one covering them. They should never be transported in water. If your turtle escapes and you can't find him around the house...he is good for a few days. Dehydration is the biggest problem.

[industrial_girl_2000]

Can turtles walk or just slider their bellies along with them, like can they lift their shell of the ground?

If it is suggested to "walk you turtles" out side or inside how do you do that? With a turt leash or just keeping a eye on them?

How long can they be kept out of water?

If my turtle is three years old and 4X3 inches(when out of his shell) is it safe for him to roam outside by him self, or if I'm near, or will a bird try to eat him?

When you clean their tank, are you supposed to just filter out some water with a syphoner or actually dump all the water out and scrub it? Or alternate?

When you are holding your turtle do they try to crawl out of you hand?

If you are laying down,and the turtlle is on your stomach does yours ever jump off you or run so fast that you can't catch him/her?

When I walk my turtle outside, I do not have a leash on her (tried that, it doesn't work). I keep an eye on her. I let her walk around my house (living room) too & make sure to remove any sharp objects or close the door to the basement so she doesn't fall down the stairs. Sometimes I let her out for 8 hours at a time since she stubbornly doesn't want to stay in the tank & raises a real racket if I don't get her & let her out. Heck, I have seen her stay out of the water on her platform in her tank for 8 hours at a time so I know she can stay out this long. I don't push it past 8 hours though.

Never had a bird try to eat my turtle (her shell is a fully-grown 11 inches long) & if a cat or dog approaches my turtle, they usually run away because they don't like the way she "smells." She's not unclean, she just smells "different" than what they are used to & they aren't really sure what to make of her.

My Sheba is big so I make sure to hold her firmly with both hands since she is very strong with sharp nails that she digs in when she wants to be put down. Yes, I have dropped her a couple of times by accident (and felt very bad about it!!!)! Believe me, I REALLY hold on to her so this doesn't happen again! Don't ASSUME your turtles will sit wherever you put them or stay on your hands!!! Trust me on this!

In terms of cleaning the tank, follow the instructions on this website. They have great tips. Have fun! Enjoy your turtle!

[tissigirl]

My Sheba is big so I make sure to hold her firmly with both hands since she is very strong with sharp nails that she digs in when she wants to be put down. Yes, I have dropped her a couple of times by accident (and felt very bad about it!!!)! Believe me, I REALLY hold on to her so this doesn't happen again! Don't ASSUME your turtles will sit wherever you put them or stay on your hands!!! Trust me on this!

I'm glad to know i'm not the only person that has this problem! Mr. Turtle only flails when i'm taking him out of the tank to put him in his feeding tank. He never does it when i'm reversing the process. Have no idea why! I've only dropped him once or twice, and it was in to the water in the feeding tank. I still felt bad though! I try to tell him if he does it he'll fall, but he won't listen.

[steve]

Kyle, it sounds like you may be handling your turtle too much. I'm not against playing with turtles outside of the tank, but it should not be done often.

Just to add to the good advice above:
I have came across dozens of instances where dogs have bitten and/or killed turtles. Most of these times, it is the owner of both animals and most of the time they swear they had gotten along previously. Plus, dogs carry a lot of bacteria in their mouths, so its generally a good idea to keep them apart.

Turtles are also very slippery AND resistant when they are being taken out of their tank and you should use both hands.