I want to get a tortoise for my little nephew. Heard, they can be harmful to children and demanding, advice?

I am sending a link to my friend at http://petgazer.blogspot.com/ and requesting to helpI want to get a tortoise for my little nephew. Heard, they can be harmful to children and demanding, advice?
Reptiles can carry certain diseases that can be harmful to humans, however, if you teach your nephew to wash his hands well (with warm water and soap) after playing with the tortoise, he should be fine. As long as he doesn't play with the toirtoise and then put his fingers in his mouth or eyes, etc., there shouldn't be a problem. A few words of advice: 1) make sure your nephew's parents are okay with the idea, 2) if your nephew is very young, make sure there is an adult willing to supervise and take over the major responsibilities for keeping the toirtoise properly cared for, and 3) see if there is a tortoise rescue group or any available from a local shelter before visiting a pet store. I have found that animals from pet stores often have health problems (usually for their entire lives). Also, wouldn't it be great to give a good home to a homeless pet? Good luck!I want to get a tortoise for my little nephew. Heard, they can be harmful to children and demanding, advice?
From having Tortoises myself I wouldn't say they are the best pet for a young child as yes they are quite needy and these are just some of the problems.





With a Tortoise it's not like a hamster or Guinea pig where you can spend hours cuddling and playing with it, you can only spend a small amount of time in each session (no more than 20 minutes) handling it as it's body temperature will drop if it's not got the appropriate heat. If your Tortoise doesn't have the appropriate heat on a regular basis it can lead to kidney and liver problems.





Also depending on the age and breed, Tortoises spend half the year in hibernation which if you don't know what you're doing can lead to disastorous consequences. Also lets think about if you were a child wouldn't you get bored of a pet that you never saw?





Even though once you purchase a Tortoise and buy it's set up it can be relatively easy and cheap to maintain however replacing items such as UV lights can be expensive and expect your electricity bills to go up.





Lastly I wouldn't say Tortoises are harmful to children but like any Reptile they can be a carrier of Salmonella. So whenever handling a Tortoise it is important that you always wash your hands, and as we all know young children aren't always the best with hygiene.





I'm not saying you shouldn't get a Tortoise for your young nephew but make sure his parents know what there letting themself in for.
Tortoises live for decades - if you get one for your nephew, it could easily outlive him, and he would have to make provisions for it after his death. I sincerely doubt he comprehends the magnitude of that kind of responsibility, and it's very unfair to saddle him - not to mention his parents/guardians - with that kind of duty when he's too young to grok it. It's also unfair to the tortoise to give it to an owner who's not fully committed.





Get him a different pet.
I have a Russian, which is one of the smaller tortoises. They're friendly, and can carry salmonella, which alot of animals can. Proper hygiene is important. That being said....tortoises require extremely specialized care, most of which is too much for anyone under age 12 or so, and even then sometimes it's too hard for them. Research them carefully, and consider some other pets, like a guinea pig.
well i have 2 tortoises and they aren't harm full ... well they are small and i tried to put my fingers to their mouth but they didn't bite me . but make sure to tell you nephew not to do that cause they may bite and if they bite they wont let go ... well i know cos they bit my brother ... i hope it was any help
make sure it don't get very big they can mess up a finger---ugru
http://petgazer.blogspot.com/





Turtles are intelligent animals, they live longer than average pets and they don't cost a fortune.





Make no mistake, it becomes a complicated responsibility to care for these shelled darlings. I strongly suggest that one reads up on maintenance and caring issues before making them a member of your family.





Take a look at this turtle, looks like he responds to kissy wissy better :)




















Not all turtles make good pets for young children. Aquatic turtles, for instance, may need a spacious aquarium and specialized food to thrive. Some need special lights for basking, which keeps their shells strong. Land tortoises may need room to roam, or soft soil in which to dig. Every species has its special needs -- and some live a long time, even dozens of years, so be prepared to be around for a while!





Then there is also the occasional case of tortoise bite. If they bite once, they don't let go off easily. There has been numerous cases reported where a child had a severely bitten finger ... they even bite dangling and rarely let go like the old folk tale of ducks carrying the turtle on a stick.





Not to scare potential turtle owners but maybe one should see the follow video of a cat and a tortoise.

















I found my busy, working friends are particularly tempted to bring home a turtle for their child. According to experts this shelled amphibian its the greatest pet for smaller kids for they are host to many a viruses. Especially, Salmonella bacteria can poison/sicken and even be fetal to kids - if their hands are not sterilised properly.











If you are starting to wonder by now if a turtle/tortoise can pose a threat to your family''s health. Consider this, we humans transmit a lot of virus and bacteria to these adorable strong shelled animals that lead to death or severe disease. Caring is the key and how its done. Try the red-eared sliders, cooters, and mud and musk turtles for starters for they don't grow to a giant size and are prone to withstand more handling issues.





All said, I'll go and watch the water turtles on the movie ';Finding Nemo'; now :)