General Care Discussion :: can my turtle live in basement???

[Boston_Zhao]

My wife doesn't like the tank in our bedroom, she blames the turtle for all her flus and colds. I can't argue, but I don't want to give up on the turtle. The problem is: I cant move the turt to the living room either, coz my small kids will definitely kill him....
so the only choice is my basement which is fully finished. There is only half window above the ground, so theres not much lighting. I can use a timer for artificial lighting... do you think the RES needs natural lighting? do you think he needs human interaction?

[Starchick]

From what I've heard, natural lighting doesn't make much difference. Even if he does get natural light through a window, you'd still need to provide a heat lamp and a uvb light, so I can't imagine why removing the natural light would make a difference. My guess is that so long as you make sure he has the right kind of artificial lights and the proper water/air temperature he'd be fine. As far as human interaction, I think it'll depend on the turtle. My turtle gets lonely, but other people on here have described turtles that prefer not to be handled or even seen. Just make sure he's got enough room that he can swim and not be bored. Even if your turtle doesn't want interaction, the one thing you do need to do is give him frequent checkups, otherwise you won't notice important changes in health. So maybe when you go down to feed him, keep an eye on him for a little bit. I can't imagine how a turtle could cause a cold or flu, and it sort of sucks to have to stick them in the basement, but I can't think why it wouldn't be ok as long as the tank conditions are good.

[scripta_elegans]

I will be a doctor soon, and I can assure you that the turtle is not responsible for cold or flu symptoms unless the whole family is under 3, or everyone has a severely compromised immune system. The biggest concern with reptiles cause gastrointestinal symptoms. On the other hand, turtles fare well with little human interaction, and the window glass filters any benefits of sunlight. If the basement is warm and not drafty, it sounds like the perfect solution.