The BEST Pet Turtles You Probably Never Thought About! 

What is your favorite Turtle?

My first turtle was one that showed up on our doorstep. It was a desert tortoise. It hung around for the longest time. We fed it greens and some other veggies. Any bugs it ate were obtained from the backyard. We had sliding glass doors that opened up to the backyard patio. The turtle figured out how to open the doors and come inside. We did not cage it or anything. It was free to go anytime it wanted.

I "rescued" my RES named Dip from a severely neglected pond back when i was 12 years old and she was the size of a silver dollar (I totally didnt know it was bad to take animals out of the wild at the time, but i did know she was invasive and was probably going to die if left in that disgrace of a pond). She's been my roommate ever since and is creeping up to 18 years old soon! Easily one of my most sociable pets, and demands head/shell scritches when i walk past her. Dip will cause as much noise as possible with her shell and claws on the decor and side of the tank until I pet her, only after sufficient shell scritches and head rubs will she calm down. They sure are a lot of maintenance compared to other reptiles (so.many.water changes.), but she has definitely been worth it

Turtle power, diamond is always a great cohost so it doesn't matter if he is a beardie he's adorable and I always enjoy seeing him. Love turtles and tortoises too. Have an awesome day Adam

I’ve had turtles eight years now and they’re wonderful! It baffles me that 99% of the reptile hobby ignores them.

Box turtles as yard pets. I used to live in a nature habitat a friend started. The box turtles got used to us and we could get really close to them and just watch them. There were plenty of places for them to hide,brumate,etc. The yard was not fenced in but was big enough they were happy there and the same turtles just live there.

a top 5 tortoise video would be cool!

Turtles are the best man, it’s odd they don’t pop up much in your videos

We have 2 pink bellied side neck turtles at my work and they are the goofiest reptiles I've ever met 😂

Big yes to top 5 tortoises.

Hello. Love this video. Ive kept ornate box turtles for a few years. I have a big outdoor enclosure, and brumate them over winter. This year i decided to do a shallow pond area, about 18in by 3 ft. They LOVE it. Every single morning and often in the evenings they are in the water swimming! Sometimes if you offer something they surprise you!

Awesome reminder about adopting a turtle given that mist rescues are beyond capacity.

i prefer to go the big stock tank route for keeping my turtles with a DIY filtration, much cheaper than an aquarium and canister filter. im able to keep them outside year round and get natural uvb.

Box turtles have a hinged Plastron. The bottom part of the shell is the plastron and the top is the carapace

Stink pot,lol, never heard of a mud turtle called that, its cute like they are. I love turtles wish I had the space for them, so for now I watch channels like Chris in New Jersey or Kenan in Florida. Thanks Adam, thinking you should do a video on tortoises. Thanks for the mini class, always a pleasure.

Anyone in Ontario Canada who wants a red-eared slider turtle, I can’t recommend Little Res-Q enough. They’re a designated slider sanctuary and they have SO MANY turtles that are on their waiting list, not even counting the ones already available for adoption.

They're all cool!! Tortoises are pretty sick though!! Awsome vlog Adam!! Hope everything is going well!! Have a nice day!!

Kind of surprised that they’re wasn’t the I like turtles video clip thrown in

My friend has a turquoise his name is Gary but we don't know what type he is but he has a red line on his head

Personally, I say yes to all the turtle and frog videos!!

Love the outdoor enclosure/garden combo, copying that for sure!

I was so worried musk turtles wouldnt be on the list but Im thrilled to see that they're number one

I love your videos Adam! Keep up the good work man! Also, could you do a paludarium videos for reptiles that are great with paludariums? Have a great day!

I'd love a tortoise video. My mom wants one bad but I know I'll be caring for it

I have a diamondback terrapin and I absolutely adore her. I’d really like a musk turtle someday too. Great list, great reminders about turtles for adoption!

I'm just here for the chaos that is Diamond.

10:50 And in the case of my dad, who had a 75gal salt water fish tank, you may need to reinforce the floor; as he did because we had a crawlspace underneath. O-O

I’m enjoying your videos very much! I found you because I have a 5yr old Beardie and looking to get a new one soon! I have a turtle too. Great content!!!!

Loved this video!

We have a Russian Tortoise and we love him. We rescued him because his previous owner had two and their dog ate one 😢. I rescued a Box Turtle that was upside down on the road last week. I wanted to take it home but I knew it was wrong so I helped him off the road, but I made a short here that showed the beauty of the box turtle 🐢

Regarding box turtles-North American ones-they need and prefer a large area of water and higher humidity. I regard Garden State Tortoise as a definitive guide to care of box turtles and many tortoises housed in the northeast, in an outside and sometimes indoor environment in the winter. This video was not a care sheet of course and I trust the creator knows this.

Have you ever tried those large enclosures that are built as half land and half water ? They aren’t the little things, they are larger.

hey i doing a ball python enclosure and before that have a bearded dragon and i made the coconut fiber and play sand mix can i use that or you recommend change for coco chip

Love box turtles all the way, the best of the best in my opinion!! That said, I do also have love for my Russian torties, as well as my adult male stinkpot which I adopted from a vendor at an expo that adopts out unwated shelled bois and birds.

I’ve got 2 dbts and they are great pets and fun to watch but they are ten times the work and money to keep as my eastern Hermans tortoise. Turtle power!

Id love a top 5 tortoise list!! Been in love with them ever since i finally got my two hermanns!

Have had my red ear slider for 14+years since a hatchling. Currently in a 99 gallon corner tank. A lot of work compared to when she was the size of a quarter.

I raised 3 red eared sliders from babies to adults. They were alot of fun to raise but also alot of work too. My female once ate a cactus thorns and all . How she got a hold of the cactus I have no clue since the cactus was well out of reach of her tank. She amazingly suffered no ill effects.

Great video! What do you think about african side neck turtles? It seems like theyre becoming more common but I havent met anyone thats had theirs more than a few years

My first reptile is coming home next week. And its a redfooted! Im excited

I have a Western painted, stinkpot, and pink belly sideneck. all their personalities are so different.

Thank you so much for what you're doing. Because of you and your videos, I have been able to choose (and not chose) the right reptiles for me and my family! I have been on the road to many bad decisions when your videos have saved the day (and possibly the reptile). Do you sell fresh water turtles, and if so, do you ship to the U.S? Thank you for your time! I know you're very busy!

Keeping turtles would be so cool! I always wanted a tortoise. Painted turtles are so pretty and if they where not native I would keep them. Awesome video

Honestly making a vid about the best pet tortoises would be nice. Like I live in a region where it gets FAR too cold to keep a tortoise outside for the majority of the year but most species I know about are like... the big boys that absolutely aren't really house pets lol. I'm sure there's many species out there under a foot long that would work as a house pet but they just don't get as much attention in the hobby in my experience.

VIDEO REQUEST: non turtle species that can cohab with turtles. Covering terrestrial, aquatic, and semi-aquatic

thank you!!

I have all of the turtles you named. And I agree, they're awesome! I'm fortunate to have mine outdoors year round. Mt redfoots climb on me when I sit in their yard. My sulcatas do, too, although there's a huge (pun intended) difference between having a 10 lb tortoise climbing on you vs. a 175 lb sulcata. Lol

I can't say that I have a favorite turtle...I've never really thought about but out of the ones in your video....the musk ones look very cute

I love my leopard tortoises. Even though they are no where the size of a sulcata, they are still large. Their outside summer enclosure is great, but they literally have a space in my garage for the winter.

This is the first time I have ever heard u mention box turtles! U prolly have mentioned box turtles before, but idk. A box turtle care guide would be much appreciated!

I have a baby painted turtle And a baby snapping turtle I am aware snapping turtles get big so I have a plan when he gets bigger, same with the painted turtle, they not in the same tank, I feed them crickets and frozen carnivore diet and frozen omnivore diet, they have a heat lamp but that is being used for a baby quail, but the are right by the window where the sun is. I am pretty sure this is all a good setup until they get bigger. Thank you for your time.

VIDEO SUBJECT SUGGESTION: Your thoughts on grow tents for reptile enclosures. Thx!!

Great Video

Can you make a video about bamboo ratsnake please?? They are gorgeous

Great video

I would absolutely love to see your top 5 tortoises!

I would love a tortoise video or one about box turtles. One of my sons loves turtles and I have a feeling one may be in our future but I don’t really want to have to deal with a water tank.

i agree with the number one choice and i want one, but also a surcata

I like the Red Eared Sliders. We had two, both stayed outside. Sad thing though they would work out how to escape and after we had no more turtles. I guess they hated large circular tubs with a big rock on one side. Still love them.

Turtles and tortoises-- they are the easiest handled reptile and the one who like being handled the least. Whenever I have to put Russian Tortoise back in his pen (after he makes great escape once again), I never have to worry about crushing him or him dropping his tail or anything else that might be a problem with the geckos.

Yes, please, for a tortis list!!!!

Idk much on the care of them but Diamond Back Terrapins are absolutely beautiful turtles and I’d love to have one some day!

please could you film a day in the life with all your reptiles

hey!! off topic but i recently bought a cinnamon broom for my room. I have a bearded dragon and a leopard gecko. is the smell dangerous for them to inhale? I dont have it like infront of their cages but I want to make sure since the smell is strong

Glad that turtles get more attention, they are amazing animals. They need more love. Although my interest has shifted more to lizards (sorry turtles). I have a 29 year old red eared slider I have since it was a baby and a hybrid red ear and yellow belly. You have to realize that these animals can live up to 45 years. Here in the Netherlands there are lots of them dumped, most bought during the 1990s. However it is to cold for the eggs to hatch. Unfortunatly they have been banned, unless you already owned one. But we are allowed to keep painted turtle (basically the same thing) and even alligator snapping turtles. Laws do not make sense at all. At least I don't live in Belgium where reptile haters have made very strict laws. They aren't even allowed to keep green iguana's anymore.

You got it 100% right. Musk turtles are so great because of their small sizes. Great to have 2-5 in a tank to watch them. Plus reacue rescue rescue when it comes to the other 4. They are all over the place in rescue groups! They need homes! I help admin/mod ID Snakes mostly on Texas pages and there is always someone asking about a turtle to ID then asking is there anywhere they could get one

Please do a video specifically on tortoises, uvb etc. Thanks. I have a Western Hermann's and Russian Tortoise

I think a top 5 tortoise video would be awesome

I have two yellow-belly-slider turtles and one painted turtle. They are still small but when they get bigger what tank do you think I should get for them?

Yes I would love a tortoise list! ❤

There are ways to cut down on the cost of filtration. I use a hang on back built for a 50 gallon on a 40 gallon with a musk turtle. All the research I did suggests that because all the most common aquatic turtles (even the musks) are carnivores and make such a mess that I’d need something capable of handling twice the that. So a filter for an 80. Instead I just added stuff. It has a pre-filter sponge on the intake, and then I stuffed the reservoir with bio media rings and filter sponges. I also put a bunch of floating water plants in(frog bit and water spangle) along with Java moss. The filter, sponges, filter media, and plants cost me like $60 total. I clean the sponges once every week and a half to 2 weeks. I check the parameters then too and the nitrates are always nonexistent so I have to add fertilizer for the plants. There’s also a colony of guppies in there too along with one female bristle-nose pleco. Just so you understand what this filter and plants are tackling.

Make a box turtle care guide. Please

i need a spotted python update vid asap

Please do a top 5 tortoises!

Kenan has a video out there of a redfoot tortoise swimming.

Great video Adam! Hope to do business in the future

How about the top 5 tiny tortoises.

13 inch is only the shell size... add the tail and head to it and it will be double that length to say the least.

TOP TORTOISE LIST YES PLZ (but thanks for the great turtle vid too) ^_^

Do a top five tortas list

My criteria for my list are all animals that could comfortably live in a *full* forty breeder for life, as I see that as the maximum size aquarium the average person wouldn’t second guess having in their home, even as a renter. 5. North American Spotted Turtle. Knocked down only due to legality issues in the US due to being protected in many areas. As a plus though, they actually probably wouldn’t even want the forty breeder to be completely full as they’re really poor swimmers. 4. Map Turtles. Specifically males. All male map turtles remain under 6”, however you have to make sure it is actually a male, thus knocked down to 4. 3. Musk turtles (excluding the Mexican giants). Small turtle, big personality. However, they lose points due to that big personality, specifically aggression issues. They can be rough with one another and other turtles species so you have to keep an eye on them because fights can turn serious. 2. Southern Painted Turtle. I personally believe this species gets super over looked due to being lumped in with the other painted turtles who grow quite a bit larger. Southerns are tiny, a large female will max out at 6”… and that’s a BIG female. My two year old is still under 3”. Penny sized as a hatchling when I got them. Essentially the same out going personality as the larger painteds and sliders but in a tiny manageable package. 1. Mud turtles, specifically I have three-striped, eastern, and Mississippi muds in mind. I have listed them separately from musks for a couple reasons. With my own animals I’ve experienced less issues with aggression compared to musks, in fact my muds seemed more likely to end up on the receiving end of aggression rather than be the aggressor. They also probably the smallest turtle on average on this list. My fully mature adult female is only 3”. Lastly, unlike musk turtles, muds are terrible swimmers and prefer shallow water. So they would be completely fine a 40 breeder that’s only half full, or if you’re lucky enough to find a 30 breeder that would be perfect. Best part two is due to their small size, if you have space for a larger enclosure you could absolutely mix and match multiple animals from this list in a communal setup.

PLEASE DO A TOP 5 TORTOISE LIST

Let's see that tortoise list! Shout out to my hermans

Please do a top 5 tortoise video that would be cool

Sliders and painted turtles I tell people can get as big as a dinner plate. So think of how much water something the size of a dinner plate needs to be able to swim freely. Tortoises are awesome, especially red-foots and elongated tortoises. And YES! We need a tortoise video. 🥰 Because they're awesome enough for their own video. On the flip side, maybe a "why turtles/tortoises AREN'T the best oets" video, if you haven't already. Box turtles and wood turtles are the shit! I'd love to get a box or wood turtle some day. But yeah, my top 5 would be 1. Red-foot tortoise. 2. Box or Wood turtle 3. Herman's tortoise 4. Sliders 5. Snappers (for more experienced keepers).

Now lets get a tortoise video! On the best tortoise to keep

I love your videos, you’ve taught me so much! I just wanted to comment though, and say that I hate Pictus catfish. I mean I hate them. Do you know how bad those things hurt when they get stuck in your skin? A lot. A lot.

Do a top 10 tortoise list please

I have a razorback musk turtle and she is a goober.

Can you do a video on the top 5 Australian tortoises? ;)

I thought for sure there would be a salamander in this list😂

Turtle Power! 🐢 🍕

I’m down for the tortoise list

Next Thursday can you please talk about the Long-nosed Leppard lizard I basically want to get one.

Turtle laws are weirdly harsh in my state 😭 (indiana, i beleive its due to the humidity and such being optimal for them)

Well I'm not new to the reptiles, I've had several lizards when I was younger! Now I've bought a frog. It's been years sents I've have had an exotic pet. I'm posting a comment, because I've learned that some pet stores are not , I say are not a good spot to buy a pet!!! I was wondering can you do a video on how important it is to do your research where you decide to get your pets!!! I bought my pet Pacman frog from a pet store that I thought what's a good place to get my pet because it was a big pet store chain to find out very bad place to get my pet!!!! A lot of people really don't know how to go about getting there pet!!! When I found out that the pet store I bought my pet was a bad place, I felt dumb I did all the research on the pet but yet I didn't on picking where to get my pet!!! Plz make a video to help people understand how important it is to where you buy any pet! Thanks

I would love a tortoise video.

Red ear sliders and yellow bellied are illegal here since 1999 as they have become invasive and are competing with our native ones. So I have never seen one upclose (have seen in the wild, pet released or reproduced). What's the difference between them? I mean for you to prefer one species over the other. I always thought that the trachemys and pseudemys (also illegal but only since 2019, I have one from 2003) would be basically the same as pets, but apparently there's difference between species, probably bigger between genus?

Please top five tortoises!!!

Chelonian gang !