Pet Turtles for Kids

There is absolutely no doubt about the fact that turtles make amazing exotic pets, but are they ideal pets for your kids? Now that's one question which you need to give a serious thought before you get a pet turtle for your kid. It's a common misconception that small turtles are harmless for kids, and this very misconception can turn out to be harmful for your kids. Did you know that a significant proportion of cases of salmonella infection in children is attributed to pet turtles.

Are Turtles Ideal Pets for Kids?

Experts are of the opinion that keeping pet turtles in homes which have children of five years or below can turn out to be harmful for these children as well as the turtle species. These turtles carry some harmful species of bacteria (salmonella bacteria being one of the most common) on their body. When kids come in contact with these turtles, the bacteria is transferred to them and affects their health adversely. Kids are not well versed with the importance of hygiene, so they may not even realized the risks associated with these bacteria species. More importantly, salmonella is naturally occurring bacteria in turtles, and you yourself may not even realize that your pet turtle is infested with bacteria because these turtles seldom look sick when they are infested by it.

Similarly, when you keep turtles as pets, you need to subject them to proper care on a regular basis. Your kids may not be well-versed with the importance of proper care for pet turtles either, and resulting bad hygiene will make these turtles vulnerable to various diseases; which will be eventually transferred to your kids. At the same time, if your kids lose interest in their pets, the onus of taking care of them will be on you. All these things need to be given a serious thought before keeping turtles as pets in homes with kids. In fact, taking into consideration the connection between pet turtles and salmonella infection in children, keeping turtles as pets in homes with small children is best avoided.

Pet Turtles Ideal for Kids

If you think your kids are old enough to take care of themselves (as well as their pets), you can opt for some species which are docile in nature and don't require much attention. When we talk about turtles as pets, the red eared slider is perhaps the best example. The docile nature of this species makes it one of the most popular pet turtle in the American households. Yet another popular pet turtle species is the musk turtle. These individuals seldom grow beyond a length of 5-6 inches. As in case of Red Eared slider, even the musk turtle species are quite docile in nature and therefore easy to handle. Even though the Cooter species tend to grow up to a length of 12-15 inches, their docile nature makes them ideal turtle species to be kept as pets for kids. Other species which can be good pets for kids include the box turtle, Speckled Padloper tortoise, Soft shelled turtle, Reeved turtle, etc.

As we have been saying in the entire article, it is important to understand that these turtles are not at all meant to be kept as pets for small kids. Though they will make ideal pets for older kids, who will learn quite a few fascinating things about these reptiles when they keep them as pets, this should only be done under the watchful eyes of some adult.