Do turtles and tortoises make good pets?

>>2242218
Probably not if you have small kids, as most turtles/tortoises carry Salmonella. However if you yourself can be diligent about hand washing after handling it and have the time, space, and finances (including vet bills) for proper care, I don't see why not.

Only if your kids and their kids want to care for it when it outlives you.

They can be entertaining, too.

>>2242218
they are cute and chill.

be careful of wild animal attacks if you have one of the larger outdoor ones though.

someone once posted a pic of his giant tortoise with bite marks and scratches all over his shell from an apparent possum/raccoon/something attack.

which I thought was just plain bizarre - why the fuck would they mess with an animal well over 5 times its size?

>>2242218

I don't have experience with tortoises but for aquatic turtles, it's both a yes and no. Definitely not for those who can't into aquariums, or rather larger aquariums. It's a little more demanding than the average fish only aquarium but otherwise once everything is set up correctly, it's actually very simplistic maintenance wise, just have to do a little manual labor. And just remember due to the life span of them, you're in it for the long haul.

Aside from that, I find them to be much more interesting than fish, many are incredibly chill and entertaining to watch doing some pretty cute antics. And if you have a particularly relaxed turtle, it won't mind a little shell scratch and head rub every once in a while

It largely depends on what species of turtle or tortoise you plan to get. One of my friends happen to have a 300lb snapping turtle for a guard pet.