Aquatic turtles including red-eared sliders and map turtles are among the most commonly kept reptiles, but their welfare is frequently compromised by inadequate housing, nutrition, and veterinary care in captivity.
Aquatic turtle welfare is compromised by a combination of the complexity of their needs, the inadequacy of information provided at point of sale, and the very long commitment they represent. A turtle purchased as an inexpensive starter pet at a few centimetres long will live for decades, grow to the size of a dinner plate, and require increasingly large and expensive housing throughout. The welfare problems that result from inadequate husbandry — metabolic bone disease, shell rot, respiratory infection — are genuinely painful and often well-advanced before owners recognise them. The fundamental welfare intervention for aquatic turtles is better information at the point of sale and consideration of adoption over purchase.