Other Turtle Discussion :: Adopting

[blaydes]

My brother and his wife are wanting to adopt a res. they already have a very nice set up, but they do not want an adult res. i realize that in most states it is illegal to get a hatchling less than 4 inches long which is what mine is, but where is everybody else getting hatchlings? a friend of mine who couldnt keep her hatchling gave it to me, she didnt mention where she got it. i saw this one website that sends baby turts through the mail! that is ridiculous! can you imagine a poor turtle traveling acroos the country in the mail? is there any other place to get them?

[ellman605]

i got mine in myrtle beach, they were illegally selling, but they were only $10

[jenaero]

I think, generally, people put their turts up for adoption when they get too big. If they don't want a large one now, what are they going to do when it grows?

I'm not familiar with adoption places in the states. I got mine thru http://www.reptilerescue.on.ca/ It's a Canadian site but they do have US adoption boards. Try that.

[ellman605]

or you can buy them from that stupid online site that sells them in the death bowls, it'll save a couple

[cam722]

The problem with buying from those sites is that you just perpetuate the problem. You think you're saving turtles when in actuality you're making more of a demand for something and therefore, they just buy/sell more. It's truely a Catch 22. Most rescue groups strongly suggest you avoid those sorts of places.. like Chinatown

[blaydes]

those are great ideas. my brother and his wife dont have a large enough house or tank to be able to contain a large turtle at the moment, but i will definetly look into those. thanks!

[buffyfan9005]

You know, my hatchling RES actually came from an individual seller who happened to work at Petco. Some friends went in and asked if they sold turtles and they didn't but they had an employee who did.

So maybe you could ask around at local petshops to see if they know any "hobbyists" who might raise them.

Plus, getting a RES from an individual who raises them and cares for them is beneficial because you know you're going to get a healthy turtle that's been taken care of up until the point that you buy it.

[daredevilgirl013]

I bought mine at a stand in the mall. He had hundreds of them, and it cost me 20.00 for a death bowl, him, and food.

Luckily I bought him before they closed the stand down because once they did, I heard the turtles that were left were killed as there were no pet stores that would take them and they were illegal after all. So luckily my little guy survived.

[buffyfan9005]

daredevilgirl013: It's horrible that they killed them. The turtles were just innocent animals. I'm sure the authorities could have found an alternative to killing them.

[cam722]

Which is exactly the reason I said you shouldn't support that type of business. There is no alternative. Try looking at the turtle rescue sites. As jenaero said in another post, it's hard for honest turtle keepers to find placement for their turtles let alone the massive amounts that are sold illegally. So by supporting an illegal operation all you're doing is perpetuating the situation. It's no different than not being a responsible dog or cat owner and having people taking their pets to the SPCA only to be put down. A turtle is more difficult to care for than most domestic animals. I mean look at how much you have to spend on the PROPER environment. Then when people find out that it costs more than they thought or can afford, what happens to the turtles?? Ok, sorry for the venting....

[blaydes]

no, thats ok, i understand i feel the same way. i always thought that if i took a turtle from any place(except the wild) i would give it a better home, but i never thought about making more of a demand like you said in an earlier post.

[jenaero]

Personally, I've decided not to buy any more turtles. I have my name/number in at all the pet stores and animal shelters in my area in case someone drops off a turtle they no longer want. The one pet store already agreed to give me any drop-offs for free.

[daredevilgirl013]

Yeah, if anything were to happen to Michelangelo, I honestly don't know if I would buy another turtle. I don't know of any place that really sells turtles around where I live and the one pet store I go to a lot that turtle is their pet and I highly doubt they would sell her to me.

Plus in a way it was almost best that those other turtles were put to death, because if a pet store got ahold of them, they would have stuffed food down their throats to get them up to the four inches as soon as possible so they could sell them quickly and that wouldn't have been any better. But there were so many other turtles along with Michelangelo in that tank that I don't think they could have found a place to take them even if they tried.

And they do cost a lot, my parents are complaining all the time about the money I put into him instead of saving it. In fact they said they should have just let me have a dog, it would have been cheaper. But I like my little guy and though sometimes they won't admit it, they do too. (they're always going..where is he? What's he doing? Where is he going?)

But yeah if you adopt one, I wouldn't go out and buy one unless you saw it in the worst conditions a turtle could be in. Try finding them in the papers. Luckily on ebay no one is selling live turtles.

But just look in the papers, see what you can find and call up vets, they have contacts and they may know of people who have turtles or need to get rid of them. Pet stores work too, in fact when I went in last this guy was telling me about his brother and how he has a turtle. So you'll never know who you can find that might have a turtle to give away.

[marisa]

blaydes, your brother and his wife would have a better chance of adopting a smaller turtle in the warmer months. People who have turtles and let them breed, only to find they can't keep the babies, often are looking for homes for them. That said, there's a lot to be said for adopting a larger turt...

[Emily]

And they do cost a lot, my parents are complaining all the time about the money I put into him instead of saving it. In fact they said they should have just let me have a dog, it would have been cheaper.

I wish having a dog was cheaper, but with the vet bills and everything, starting up with a dog/puppy, costs essentially the same as a turtle. Maybe not quite as much, but around the same. ^_^