Other Turtle Discussion :: Strong believer in NOT picking up turtles!

[julee]

I handle them once a week, when i clean their tank and let them roam the apartment for a while. In the end, they'll come near my foot at my computer desk and i'll put them back into their clean tank.

[Lilsaint]

I take them out to the patio for walk in the sun occasionally. And i dont see it as a problem. Shes never bites me. except when feeding

[CassieJade]

Yes, of course I take them out of tank to clean it.

[Moose]

Most of the time when I handle Buster and Eugene its every saturday when I clean out there tank and brush there shells with a small tooth brush, outside of that I do handle them once in awhile, not so much during the winter but since I do live in arizona and its getting warmer i start to take them outside.

I do believe in keeping them in there "natural habitat" or the ones that we've created for them anyway but in the end, what can you really say is normal once you've already purchased an animal from a pet store who in return probably purchased them from some breeding warehouse, I just try to keep them in the best conditions as possible and give them a warm, charismatic and comfortable life to the best of my ability. hell thats what we humans try to do for ourselves right?

[jwinters]

I only pick up mine when I'm moving them for a water change or when I'm going to clean their shells. My RES sometimes sticks his head out and lets me touch it though. I guess he's just so used to me (17 years in my room with me) that he doesn't mind. It's kind of funny at times since he follows me from one end of the room to the other by swimming from one end of his tank to the other. He also knows when I'm awake. He'll scratch at the glass so I'll feed him or let him out to roam. Yet when I cocoon myself up in my blanket he stops because he thinks I'm asleep. XD

[untsmurf]

I don't see why handling turtles for entertainment purposes is necessary. Handling them for cleaning, feeding, care, sunlight exposure is obviously good for the turtle. But anything else seems unnecessary to me.

[theartbook35]

I don't see why handling turtles for entertainment purposes is necessary. Handling them for cleaning, feeding, care, sunlight exposure is obviously good for the turtle. But anything else seems unnecessary to me.

It may be unnecessary... but, aside from the fact that my turtles are part of my family, they do enjoy my company. Both of them have always been okay with us handling them, even on the first day we brought them home. It's nice to enrich them with new smells, textures, faces and experiences. Turtles are good learners, and, I like to compare their intelligence to that of an 8 month old human baby. I think it's their right as sentient beings to have more experiences than eating, pooping, peeing, lay eggs and having weekly tank cleanings or random vet trips. I also like knowing that my turtles respect me enough to let me hold them.

[CassieJade]

I like hearing what everyone has to say about this. So I decided to pick them up one at a time to see how they would react. All three turtles reacted completely different. Josiah, the boss, is cool as a cucumber. Jack Johnson, common to eye infections, threw his arms everywhere and went nuts. Jade, the little one, went into her shell as soon as I picked her up. Go figure.

[Moose]

lol

[novroz]

I am a strong disbeliever I love playing with my turtles and I believe they like playing with me too because I can see their body language.

Kame always asks to be pick up especially when I got home for work.

[blackforces get you]

i really dont hold my turtles. because one of them scratches and struggles. the other hisses and tries to bite. and his bite is FIERCE. im not trynna get anywhere near that beak

also, i kinda dont have time to hold them and stuff. i do take them out to let them roam around the house but im not usually picking them up

im kinda for holding turtles. because they need some time with their owner too right?

[coopersnow]

How do you inspect them or move them then??

[novroz]

How do you inspect them or move them then??

I believe the term means not picking them other than for care...basically turtle owner should treat turtles like fish. Pick them only when you need to clean or inspect them.

BUT I'm not like that at all..that's why I said I'm a strong DISBELIEVER

.I believe that all animals are the same...turtles can also act like cats and dogs...they can show their emotion too. I picked them up since they were still 2 inches. I play with them and I am so happy that they are now acting more than as reptile who look at me just for food.

[CassieJade]

Here is an example. When my boyfriend and I just hooked up about a year ago, he came over one day and I introduced him to my turtles. First time he ever saw them, he goes over to them and just picks one up. I was like "What are you doing?"

I didn't "go off" on him or anything. I was just like "Do you think the water turtle wants you to pick him up out of the water, hold him, and flip him upside down and totally trip him out?"

I further explained that I pick them up and relocate them to clean tank, or inspect them. They are MY turtles.

MY TURTLES MY RULES!!!
That's the main thing. If someone loves, respects, and takes care of a turtle it should be their choice on handling them.

MY TURTLES MY RULES!!!

[Moose]

LOL Agreed! Thats pretty much everyone's philosophy, my turtles my rules.