Freshwater Sea Turtle

[jangjang]

Hi, 
 
I was planning to buy a Freshwater Sea Turtle earlier.. It looks like this: http/3.bp.blogspot.com/_qRy7i8Xa2g4/TAumqRpst4I/AAAAAAAAOdU/pE_lKQaQst0/s1600/3.jpg
 
But earlier some random buyer said that his sea turtles died in two days after he bought it.. So I postponed it but still thinking to get it, its so cute!!
 
 
 
 
Does any of you know how to take care of that creature?
 
Whats needed, Do I need sands etc for it?
 
Is it ok to put it with a bigger turtle in a pond, or in an aquarium with small predator fishes (Gars and Bichirs)?
 
 
Please help and Thanks a lot..
 
 

 

[Chad]

Sea turtles are marine animals and require marine level salinity. I've read (obviously I've not kept a sea turtle) that they can only be kept in freshwater for short periods of time and this is usually related to hypo-salinity veterinary treatments of the animal. 
 
That said, even small sea turtles are huge and require great amounts of food and space. Most are endangered species and even those that are not require special permissions to own. 
 
Here's a page on the 7 species of sea turtle http/www.conserveturtles.org/seaturtleinformation.php?page=species_world that you might find useful to learn of them.
 
A link to the sale page or a photo of the particular turtle you are interested in would help. It's highly possible it's an aquatic turtle and not a sea turtle at all. At least one would hope this is the case.

 

[jangjang]

Thanks for the link..
 
I'm now sure that the hatchlings I saw earlier was Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas)..
Seems to be an endangered species..
 
Unfortunately in My country, rules, laws and regulations for this kind of stuff doesn't really work, if it even exist in the first place.
The seller also only put it in a rather small aquarium, mixed with other fishes and probably wont even feed it properly..
They only know how to sell them, I bet most dont even its actual name, how to care etc.
 
I would be able to give better care given instructions etc..
 
Do you know how to keep such creature? Should I go ahead and buy/save it?

 

[DrRob]

Ahhh, now this is always a complicated debate.
 
Really, only large public aquariums or the sea are appropriate places for a green turtle, they're, quite frankly, huge, and very active creatures.
 
I can see why you want to do your best for it, and I can see a whole lot of pain going down that route, either financially, in trying to get a huge tank set up, or psychologically, in having your pet die on you, and they're intelligent creatures and you'll get to love it.
 
The other side is that, if trade in these is ever going to stop, then there needs to be no money in it, and buying it just feeds the trade in endangered creatures. It takes more than one to make the difference, but it's got to start somewhere and they'll only stock things that sell quickly and easily.
 
The same issue happens at many levels, with people buying fish that look ill from shops that aren't caring for their fish well, this one though is slightly different as the chances of giving it a good life in your tanks are really quite small.
 
Personally, I'd stay away. I'm proud of your instinct to want to give the turtle a better life, but overall it feeds a bad trade and will never be the life that it should.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I agree with Dr. Rob.
 
Wanting to save that turtle is noble, but in the end, buying it will actually just encourage this behavior by the seller.  As a result, while you may save one for a bit of time, the result is that more turtles will end up with the same fate.
 
Not buying, and instead educating the folks around you would be a much more effective way of helping the species, not just this one animal.  Ultimately, only through education will things change.

 

[jangjang]

Ok, done deal.. Wont buy it.. Thanks for input..
 
Hope that lil fella will live.. It is so darn cuteee!! That eyes >< haha.. Truly Adorable!!

 

[Chad]

I'm glad you aren't going to. I think that's a wise choice.
 
I did some quick research on the animal and found a few interesting facts that apply to your case.
 

• The animal eats sea grass and is migratory going long distances between feeding, breeding, and hatching grounds.
• The adult turtle is 5 feet long and weighs on average 400-600 pounds with the biggest on record being 870 pounds.
• They live to be 80 years old. So you will not be able to take care of this animal for its entire life. It will either have to be a burden to your children some day or die of neglect after your death. We think long term here.
• Indonesia is a signatory of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and as such as also agreed to abide by this particular turtle's endangered status. While it may be difficult for these laws to be enforced in rural areas of the country it is still illegal to own. According to my research a government permit is required to own them and is issued to a few turtle farms that raise them for meat and eggs.

My opinion in short: you can't take proper care of this animal unless you are wealthy and able to create a giant marine environment for it or perhaps barrier off part of the sea for it. You don't "rescue" it from the seller you simply become the second person unable to properly care for it. The best course of action would be to check into the legality of the seller and if they don't have the proper permits to report them to the authorities.
 
I think you were smart to discuss this and ask for thoughts and opinions on the animal. Well done!