Pros and Cons: Blue Tongue & Turtles

[._EL_.]

I've been thinking about getting one turtle or blue tongue, but I've never owned either of them.
I was just wondering what you guys have personally found good and bad about both types of animals.

 

[Imported_tuatara]

(As someone who owns a bluey) they're great beginner reptiles and are much more placid than other species of lizards here, calm and tolerate handling very well, though some individuals will less than others. can't think of anything bad about them, and if you get a blotched you can keep it here in vic outside, or an eastern.(well, unless you live inland, then idk.) bearded dragons are also an option for outside here, along with being very placid.(though i'll assume you don't have the room for one, as i'd think you'd list them as an option of so?)

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

Coming from a turtle background, I can tell you that of all the reptiles available to you, they're the most difficult, time consuming and expensive to keep in captivity. You need to have a solid grasp of water chemistry, how it works and how to alter it, (do you have any aquarium keeping experience?). A basic turtle setup is going to cost you $1,000+ to do right, then there's the ongoing running costs. Your electricity bill will increase significantly as will your water usage.

All that aside, turtles kept indoors take up a lot of time, (I can't remember my last holiday), unlike snakes that have minimal UVB requirements and a simple diet, turtles need to be taken outside to bask daily in the sun, even when using artificial UVB lighting. They, (each individual species) have a complex diet that needs to be replicated as closely as possible and if housed and kept properly, the average freshwater turtle lives between 80-100 years.

You'll need to decide whether you want to keep a long-necked or short-necked species, both have very different husbandry/dietary requirements and there's species that are considered suitable for newbies and those that newbies should steer clear of due to being more advanced.

The other thing to remember is there's no such thing as a penny turtle... all Australian Turtles, apart from Western Swamp turtles and Macleays grow upwards of 20cm, many species attaining an adult size of anywhere between 26 and 40cm with several exceeding 40cm.

 

[SpottedPythons]

Turtles are nice, but as AP said, they are very time consuming and probably not for a beginner. Blueies and Beardies are both great options, they require a similar amount of space and requirements. They are both placid and good handlers. Another pro with the blueies (not beardies) is that they can eat dog and cat food.

 

[azzmilan]

You are talking about one of the easiest reptiles to keep verse the hardest.

The turtle husbandry combines the aquarium hobby with reptiles. The turtle you get is not just for you but for your family to take over in the future. Turtles require constant cleaning due to feeding in the water, a much bigger tank , 4 foot would be a good start, knowledge of aquarium processes such as Ph,Nitrate ect, expensive aquarium equipment (aquarium heater for example) whilst combining that with a UVB bulb and constant vigiliance on how the water is doing.

Bluey will be more than fine in a 2-3 foot enclosure (I always choose bigger the better), UVB and basking Light. Depending on your location their are victorians species that you can keep in outdoor enclosures. They are easy to handle, can be fed a wide variety of foods insects,fruit and even cat/dog food!

Make sure you do your own research first before you attempt to get any animal.

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

I agree, Turtles are hands down the hardest reptiles to keep successfully in captivity. There's no shortcuts in that field.