it's ILLEGAL to BUY THIS TURTLE (the 4 inch turtle law) 

"Don't lick your turtle like a popsicle". . . .THERE'S advice that I didn't see coming when I woke up today!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣👍👍👍👍

Yes I recently was given 2 baby red eared slider turtles. I took them because I wanted a pet but didn't realise how big they got and how much it took to care for them. This has led me to your channel and you've helped me a lot on being a new turtle dad haha. I hope I'll be able to keep them both but that might not be possible. I'm taking care of both but I will be on the look out for anyone who's serious about owning one.

I honestly think it would be a good rule for larger turtles like red eared sliders. It may be frustrating for people who know a lot about turtles but it would prevent people who don’t know a lot from neglecting turtles and getting really sick. I got my two red eared sliders from someone who got them as babies and they got too big

I have learned sooo much from you. I had 3 red eared sliders and they were tiny when I got them. 2 died and one is sick and bout to pass . It's so sad.

I am new to the turtle world and have learned so much from your videos! I ordered a musk turtle online just the other day, but then got the email from the seller that since I’m in NY I can’t have one, so I switched to a southern painted turtle. Didn’t even realize this was an issue until I got the email. I’m actually excited about the change, the southern painted is adorable also, and I’m looking forward to him! As far as the salmonella, I was a little nervous at first with the thought, but I’ve been preparing raw chicken on my kitchen counter for over 30 years, so worrying about the turtle is actually silly for me. Thanks for all of the great and informative content! Love your diamondback - he’s adorable!

When I was young had several red eared sliders, just because I thought they were cute, did not really know anything about them, and they unfortunately didn't last very long. So I can see your point about impulse buy. I have always been fascinated by turtles, and in my 60's got 2 red eared slider hatchlings, which 3 years later are doing great. I want to thank you for all you have taught me about turtles. Turtle keeping is a great hobby, but people should not get into it without knowledge.

There was a pet store in my local mall in the 90s that had a tank of baby red eared sliders. They had a label on the tank saying they weren't for sale, but I've always wondered why they always had a supply of baby red eared sliders for 10 years that never seemed to grow.

I remember being around 10 years old and every pet shop sold the baby sliders with little, shallow, plastic bowls with a little “island” and fake palm tree in the center. The turtles never lived more than a few months because they could never survive in that environment. Really kind of sad. Thankfully we’ve come a long way in our understanding of what these amazing creatures need if we are keeping them as pets.

We have bought 4 hatchling turtles from a local pet store (not a box chain) over the last year. I did not know this was illegal! I do want to say though that before we purchased them they did let us know about what size they will be full grown and what was needed for them as they grow and as adults. We have also learned a lot from watching your videos!

I kind beg to differ that we can “rarely find turtles under 4 inch” because especially here is Florida they are sold EVERYWHERE LIKE CRAZY! I just rescued a yellow bellied hatchling like brand new outta shell type hatchling and the petstore got it surrendered to them and they called me because I rescued reptiles and turtles

I'm learning so much 🙏 thanks for sharing!

I live in NC. It’s basically illegal here to own almost any turtle as a pet. Only ones legal here are muds, musks, and common snapping turtles. The red eared sliders are the most beautiful to me. Sucks that I can’t own one. 😞 I would love to raise one.

Thank you so much for this you gave me so much hope now about my turtles I feel so much better ❤️

Hi turtle girl, can you tell me the model of your basking lights for your musks, the bulbs and the dome please, thanks!

Thx I didn’t know about this law

You wouldn't believe how much I've learned owning my turtles 😊

my dad found a hatchling in our pool and he was still covered in the shell stuffs and he’s doing so good it’s been almost a year.

People sell hatchling turtles online and ship to the US a lot, I've been looking into getting one lately. Do they not monitor this or does the law not apply to online ?

I saw the tiniest baby snappers in a commercial pet store just the other week. Like the size of a quarter

Hi my turtle tank water got some oily layer and bubbles on the edges can you please help us what is the reason and how i can clear it ? I got tetra neon in the tank and 4 live plants, one small turtle TIA

I live in Florida and they still sell hundreds of hatchlings near the beach with the plastic tanks. My own turtle was from a smaller pet store and was a hatchling. I didn’t know this law still existed.

My southern painted was so hard to find because fully grown theyre only 5 inches Found him online as a hatchling though and that worked out for me

They sell still red eared slider hatchlings at my local flea markets 😬

how many times you feeds your turtle every other day? my turtle is 9 months old, how many times should i feed him? every other day or every day?

Is it illegal to buy hatchlings online? Or is it just selling them in in-person stores that is illegal?

I have 2 small turtles (both around 1 inch), what would you recommend to take care of them? I’m not sure if I can feed them adult sized turtle pellets and also need a new tank for them since I’m not sure what gallon tank they need. Do you already have a video for it, and if not, could you give me some information to keep them alive and healthy?

I know this is slightly unrelated but can you please do a deep dive for painted turtles or more specifically Eastern Painted turtles as I will get one this summer, I want all the info I can get

iam with you on all of this totally agree

Also I don't have a sponge filter I have a regular? Filter. It has rocks in it and when I took the rocks that were in the thing to clean, when I put it Back, it started over flowing all the time

I love musk turtles. I bought mine from a pet shop when he was very small but I did my research knowing that this breed don’t grow very large. But it’s important to mention I live in the UK so legislation is likely very different to US. Either way do thorough research before getting one of these babies. I plan to *adopt* musks in the future because they can be very misunderstood & neglected & five years ago I didn’t comprehend that. They are complete gems though when you give them their needs. Not good pets for kids imo. I got mine at 18yrs and was still probably too naïve then. It took a good while to build that bond but it’s worth it to see a happy turtle face everyday. 😊🐢

I have had my turtle Tucker for about 5 years now. I have upgraded his tank as needed all along the way, but now he just does not seem at all happy ☹️. He wants out! And has gotten out 🐢 several times. .. so I get why people don't 'want' them anymore. I have to figure something out to make him happy.

I enjoy watching my baby turtles and tortoise grow. I'm lucky enough to have two reptile speciality stores near me that sell baby turtles and tortoises under 4 inches. I have also ordered several online. 😊❤

I got mine at a flea market in Florida while on vacation. They were selling all hatchlings of different species.

good info.

i just got a baby fresh out of his shell 6 days ago. my roomate found him near the train tracks, where his mom burried him, and was worried a snake would get him. hes doing great.just opened one eye yesterday. i was worried cause he hasnt eaten yet but after watching your feeding video im a little more at ease.

Can you do a video about soft shell turtles. What they eat, how to care for them please?

I caught two baby musk turtles when I was a teenager. They had buried themselves in anoxic mud along a lake bed. I was feeling around for large clams and grabbed the turtles. I loved them so much I got another as a pet and it's doing great. My kids initially got sick and keep getting diarrhea which my wife attributes to salmonella. I don't think it is because we don't handle the turtle.

Hi! I have a musk turtle as well! I've had it for almost a year and he's getting really big now. I've tired feeding him in a separate container so the tank isn't as dirty, but he refuses to eat in a separate container even with a towel covering it half way. Do you know how to help so he can eat in a different container other then his tank?

I did not know that thanks

I bought two from a flea market then took it to a pet store when she told me it’s illegal

I am planning on getting a turtle, I already have a 50 gallon tank and I am looking for a 7 inch turtle that isnt too expensive, do you have any suggestions?

I think there should be an exception added that includes adults 3+ years old

Mines laying eggs rn as we speak Update: she laid 2 eggs tbh I didnt know they were kinda hard, I left them in the nesting box right under the heating lamp I'll have to bake them for about 9 weeks till they're born

I have lived on a island tourist destination in the southern USA and for decades and there was a "beachy" shop (sold bathing suits, inflatables, towels, etc) on the south end of the island here that still "sold" baby turtles (with the plastic bowl w/ palm tree deal) up until probably the last 10 or so years. The live turtles were the gimmick to make them stand out over the other beachy shops. Apparently they weren't "selling" you the turtle, they were selling you the pet turtle starter kit, but "omg look we have this baby turtle here, it will go perfect with your new "baby turtle starter kit" you're buying from us. Take one!" They don't do it anymore because locals kept the pressure on them and finally got it ended, but I know they were doing this into the 2000s. Glad they quit doing it because uninformed people impulse buy and are totally ignorant to good turtle husbandry leading to overall poor quality of life, bad health and untimely demises.

I think the law is good but it should be revised as to what species can not be purchased at 4 inches or under in carapace length. Like you said, some musk and mud turtles don’t get over that size as adults.

are those musk turtles you keep showing?

In the uk none of this shit applies lol. People aren’t stupid. They don’t lick turtles

I feel like this was a good law and still is now just because if you really want an animal and you have to actually look for it then that means that your at least some what dedicated too it . I mean rescues still have probably all of those tiny red ear sliders because people bought them and then gave them up when they were done with it

I had 3 turtles they were in a little tank with the fake palm tree one of them died and the other 2 I have had them for about 4 years and now

I first got a baby turtle when I first visted a pet store

*Possible Emergency* Please Help! I am going to include pictures and all the details I can to hopefully get the best solution. So I have a 17yr old red eared slider and I just moved him from a 20 gal to a 73gal bow front. After doing lots of research for the new setup, wanted to go all out, I found that I had admittingly neglected him. I had a cheap Zilla filter, no heater, too small of tank, improper lighting, and let water alone for up to 2 months at a time. Now I have him in a nice big tank, a heater, a canister Magniflo 360, good lights and a more exciting tank! I also decided to get him a female yellow belly slider tank mate. He was always so active and now all he does is bask, and she does a lot as well. I thought maybe at first the water was too warm because he wasn't used to it, to I turned it down to 70... Didn't help. Since, I've turned it up to 78 degrees, still no help. He hasn't been eating at all the last couple days🥺 I've noticed a slimey feel to their shells and wondering if there is something with the water that is keeping them out of it. I just changed all the water and cleaned the filter that had only been in operation 3 weeks. Now I did add Mopani wood and some rocks and around the same time is when he started this behavior. I have 6in1 test strips and earlier the Nitrite seemed high and the PH was a little low, and the water was hard. Now back to my previous care, I did water changes and never paid any attention to quality. I would add a few declorination drops with a water change sometimes but that was it. I put in a Dr. Turtle tablet and didn't seem to do anything. I used Turtle water conditioner with the water change. I have TONS of bio filter media and I have Carbon, Purigen, and a bag of chemipure elite in the filter. Could these be affecting him as well? I thought that the new yellow belly maybe had a respiratory infection at first due to floating by the too of the shell for a few days but that seemed to of wore off. I do have API turtle fix and didn't know whether to try that too... There is also white stuff attached to the wood, is this a bad fungus? I let it all soak for over 2 weeks and did daily water changes. So do you guys think he's sick? Is it from the other turtle? Is it from the mopani wood? The chemical filter media? Fungus on wood? Please guys!! Any ideas!???

I agree if to be sold to families with kids who will be unmonitored. I'm biased, as im an adult who have been wanting to pet a turtle but as a kid my mother told me it is an animal to be kept free like the birds. Now at 50, for years i have been looking for the tiniest breed of turtle so i can keep it in a contained area that i can fully manage. I finally succeeded this year with what i believe are asian yellow pond hatchlings- unless they are really tiny- because mine is about 2cm big. They are like my babies and i fret whenever they dont or take too much tine before they eat. I also agree that it takes a truly committed individual to pet them much like any animal we keep. So long as we don't patronize those who support poachers i suppose getting these pets, by responsible keepers should be okay.

NEW VIDEO TODAY!!!!

Oh fr my pet turtle is still under 4 inches. I didnt know that it was illegal. My local store always has them

So interesting - I didn’t have any trouble finding my hatchling Map (1.5”) and Eastern Painted (1”) turtles Though we have two exotic reptile stores near us… maybe that’s why?

HELLO TURTLE GIRL well worded also I have a couple questions WHAT is ur favorite animal that u have. Axolotl? Turtle? Fish? Witch one

I'm in favor of the law not necessarily because of its initial reason for preventing salmonella transmission but for its inconvenience, for example. People are more likely to impulse purchase a tiny hatchling red-eared slider than a full-grown potentially foot long turtle. This minor inconvenience makes just a bit more research necessary to purchase a hatchling and therefore, increases the chances that the turtle will be purchased by someone with the means to responsibly and ethically keep these animals. My adult female slider was surrendered to me after living in a small tank for years and imo she'd look cramped in anything smaller than the outdoor 110 gallon tub I'm keeping her in now.

Is that a slider

1) I like the way you say "salmonella." I say sal-mun-nell-luh. 2) The law also forces people to do research before purchasing a turtle. This is good. 3) This is the way.

It should be change

Your so pretty. Pluss were can you get a baby turtle for a reasonable price

Thank you that’s good my red slider is not a baby

I had no idea baby turtles were illegal i had them for months when i was a kid i live in new york in Chinatown they cell them everywhere baby res eared sliders yellow bellies o could get some now if i wanted to

I think that it is even a little sad that we aren’t able to find such adorable turtles like Elon musk! I got my turtle Shelly when he was no bigger than the size of a toonie, and since then my red-eared slider has grown to be a solid 4 and a half inches, and I think it would be so much funner growing up with your turtle, because since Shelly was a baby, I took care of him, and he knows who I am, and I feel like i wouldn’t enjoy the feeling of keeping a turtle as much if I got him when he would be older, or what he is now, because it might be even harder to bond with them. I think this video was helpful nonetheless, and I was just so surprised how such cute turtles can be banned!

I hate how this is basically me getting my turtle. Unfortunately my uncle was a idiot and decided to get two baby turtles off the streets not knowing that it was kind of hard to take care of. I took them off him because he has killed way too many animals for my liking and unfortunately one of them died (my brother shook it when I wasn’t looking) leaving me with a one red ear slider. Love my boy just.. not happy with where he came from

Beautiful

does the turtle queen reply?

I have two baby hatching one yellow bellied slider and one Cumberland slider I got online ❤️ Under 4 inches I love my baby muffin & grumpy ☺️ but the law should be changed tho

💚💚

i got my off the side of the road today

🇨🇦🐢❤️👏🏻🙌🧐 I’m a Turtle Mom because my sons grew up and moved out…

Pump goes out gets cold will the turtles die.

Ya I went to the pet store last month and al 70 hatchling turtles were not there! And I asked the pet store guy where they put them and he said that they’ve been banned 😁 no I shouldn’t worry about them getting in the wrong hands!

No illegal stuff around here no no no thats bad

The main reason turtles carry it is because people don’t care for them properly and don’t have proper filtration and don’t do water changes. I bet I could drink water from my turtle tanks and I would be fine

Yep. Those days ppl painted on their shells. Most died.😥

I don't agree with that law.

I was able to get some turtles for my outside pond. I’m in Fl. and I was able to get turtles that are found here as well. However 2 of my 4 inch babies got eaten by a big bull frog. So the 4 inch rule, is for good reason! I would have never guessed a FROG 🐸 would/could eat a turtle. But it DID!😠😳😢😭

What I can't lick a turtle like a popsicle 😂

Kinda over you eye

This is so off topic, girl you are Beautiful ‼️🤣💙

Disturbly 🤦‍♂️ remember that back in Macau and Hong Kong fish market... they were just treat it like groceries 😅 hundreds of them are in a styrofoam container just calling out to me help me buy me save me 😑 of course I was a kid so I can't do shitz squad🥺

Elon the musk turtle, Love it!

I mean I was born in 1959, and I had at least one of these turtles from the five and dime store, but I will say, as far as I can ever remember I NEVER PUT THE DANG THING IN MY M O U T H ! 👄😮

OMG I HAVE A BBY BOX TURTLE 😰😰😰😰 I am scared

TURLE 🐢❤️FOREVER😜❤️

😉

Is that a scare on your face

hello

o:

I just bought my turtle off a lady on the street. And it was less than 4 inches😏

funny, because I thought this law was made to protect animal rights

first！