Russ Case - Turtles & Tortoises

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Copyright 2007 by I-5 Press

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Case, Russ.

Turtles & tortoises / by Russ Case.

p. cm. (Beginning vivarium systems)

ISBN-13: 978-1-882770-93-9

eISBN-13: 978-1-620080-32-0

ISBN-10: 1-882770-93-5

1. Turtles as pets. I. Title. II. Title: Turtles and tortoises.

SF459.T8C37 2007

639.3'92dc22

2006029681

An Imprint of I-5 Press

A Division of I-5 Publishing, LLC

3 Burroughs

Irvine, California 92618

Printed and bound in China

16 15 14 13 12 11 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Manufacturer: Bestywell Date of Production: Summer 2011 Printed & Bound in: China Print Facility Location: Shenzhen Printer Job Number: P10021387

Contents

CHAPTER 1

Reptiles as Pets

C ompared with other animals, reptiles (including turtles, tortoises, lizards, and snakes) sometimes get a bum rap. Lots of people think reptilesespecially snakesare slimy creatures that want to bite and squeeze them and maybe even use their fangs to inject them with poison. So when the time comes to choose a pet, millions of people pick animals that are friendlier.

Red-eared slider

Take dogs, for example. Dog owners can play and exercise with their pooches, brush their fur, dress them up, and perhaps even enter them in dog shows. There are special dog beaches and parks, where dog owners gather by the dozens. There you see dogs running all around, playing, barking, and having a great timeits just like a kids playground but hairier and with more slobber.

Dogs are loved because they give love back. They may lick peoples faces, jump on them, sleep in their beds, and ride in their cars, and they want to be with their people all the time.

With reptiles, things are different. Ive never been to a snake beach or a lizard park, where people frolic and play with their scaly pets. Turtles dont jump up and down when their owners come home from work. Lizards and turtles dont lick your face to show how much they love you, and Ive never seen a tortoise riding in a car with its head hanging out the window and tongue flapping in the breeze. Pet reptiles arent as interactive as dogs and some other pets are. A pet reptile may not want to be handled all the time, generally wont snuggle with you, and may not respond to your affection (although many tolerate some handling). Although reptiles are not usually interactive, they still can make great petsespecially for kids! On the following page are some reasons why.

These Russian tortoises make good pets for beginners, including younger herpers.

Russian tortoise

Ten Reasons Reptiles Make Great Pets

If the adults in your house are not sure about adding a reptile to the family, ask them to consider the following points:

There are some great harmless beginner reptiles for kids to keep.

Compared with other pets, reptiles are low maintenance.

The risk of injury to responsible children is much lower than the risk of a dog bite, a cat scratch, or even a peck from a parakeet or nip from a hamster.

Reptiles are quiet.

The foods reptiles eat are readily available at pet shops and grocery stores.

Reptiles dont have to be fed every single day (but they shouldnt be starved).

Reptiles arent hairy and dont have dander, so they make great pets for people with allergies.

Reptiles are easier to care for than almost any other pet.

Keeping reptiles teaches young owners responsibility and can help them grow into sensitive, caring adults.

Reptiles are really cooljust ask your kids!

Black-knobbed map turtle

Superpopular Pets

Reptiles have become superpopular over the past several years. Go to any pet store, and youll see what I mean. For one thing, youll find many different species, or types, of herps.

At pet stores, in addition to seeing lots of cool reptiles, youll find oodles of stuff to help you take care of pet herps.

Lots of companies sell products that make it easy to provide pet reptiles with happy homes. They include different types of lights, gizmos to keep your herps warm, branches for them to climb on, cages to keep them in, and bowls for their water and food. (In chapters 4 and 5, you can read more about items such as these.)

There are even pet stores that sell only reptiles. You wont find dogs, parakeets, tropical fish, or cats there, but you are likely to see many different species of turtles and tortoises, lizards, frogs, snakes, and other really interesting animals.

People have been keeping pet herps for decades, but since 1993 the hobby has become really popular. I can tell you why: it is because of the movie Jurassic Park. I dont just write books about reptiles. I am also the editor of Reptiles magazine, and the fact that the magazine came out at about the same time as Jurassic Park was really lucky! People saw the movie, loved it, and as a result many wanted to learn about reptiles and how to keep them.

Whats a Herp?

Herp is a nickname for a reptile or an amphibian, and it comes from the word herpetology, which means the study of reptiles and amphibians. A scientist who studies these animals is called a herpetologist.

Reptile keeping has become very popular over the years.

Young peoples interest in dinosaurs often leads to an interest in keeping pet reptiles.

Dinosaurs are fascinating. Of course, its impossible to keep one as a pet. (If you could find one, it would probably be really expensive, and it scares me to think how expensive it would be to feed it.) Many people think the next best thing to having their own little T. rex is to own a pet lizard. And although its great that so many people became interested in reptiles after seeing Jurassic Park, there was a sad side to their new popularity.