Shabby Chic Boho What you might not know about me is that when I’m not blogging, I’m hanging out with my pets. I’m a full-on pet lover, and I believe animals need daily interaction just like we do. My pets are family. Even my yellow belly slider turtles, Pokey and Scooter. Sure, the love might be a little one-sided with them, but I’m okay with that.
My Lifelong Love for Turtles
I’ve had a fascination with turtles for as long as I can remember. We always had turtles around when I was growing up, so I guess it stuck. Honestly, my love for them has only grown stronger as I’ve gotten older. If you’ve ever scrolled through my trip photos, you’ve probably seen at least one turtle pop up in there. I even pick vacation spots based on whether or not I’ll get to see turtles. I could sit and watch them all day. I’m also a proud member of the Turtle Rescue League, where I get to foster turtles, help with fundraisers, scoop them off dangerous roads, rush them to the vet when needed, and so much more.
The Truth About Turtle Lifespans
Now, before I go any further, here’s the truth about yellow belly slider turtles. They’re cute. They’re easy to find. But they are not temporary pets. Bringing one home is a serious, long-term commitment. You might be surprised to learn just how long they can live when they’re healthy and cared for properly. So before you buy one on a whim, please keep reading.
Yellow belly slider turtles can live up to 100 years. I know, right? It sounds wild, but it’s true. While 100 is rare, it’s not unusual for them to live 20 to 50 years, sometimes even up to 70. At my age, there’s a pretty good chance my aquatic babies might outlive me. So before I took on the responsibility of owning turtles again, I made sure to line up a foster mom who would love and care for them in case something happens to me.
How Long Do Yellow Belly Slider Turtles Live?
I purposely adopted Pokey and Scooter because they had health issues and were less likely to be chosen. They’re the underdogs, and I wanted to give them a loving home. There’s something extra special about caring for animals who need a little extra help. And if they live longer than me, then good. That means they were happy and thriving.
Thinking About Getting One? Read This First
If you’re still interested in yellow-bellied slider turtles after all that, and you understand it’s a lifelong responsibility, please consider adopting or buying a grade B turtle. They deserve love too. But please, know this one thing for sure. Once a turtle is a pet, it can never be released back into the wild. Never. Ever.
What to Know Before You Commit
If you’re not 100 percent sure you have the time, patience, daily commitment, and financial resources to care for a turtle, please admire them from afar instead. I promise they’re just as cute in photos.
Stay Tuned for the Full Turtle Series
I’m starting a whole series on yellow belly slider turtles so you’ll know everything there is to know before diving in. From the cost of setup to travel tips (or reasons not to travel with them), I’ve got it covered. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter so you don’t miss a single post. You’ll be a turtle expert in no time.
I own a Yellow Bellied Slider, his name is Terry! He is the absolute love of my life and like you I have always had a fascination with turtles, I do anything to be near them. He is quite a character and is nearly two now. I got him when he was a little over 6 months old as someone who owned him could not look after him, had him in the smallest tank and didn’t even give him light. He is now fully happy and thriving! I am really looking forward to reading more posts on yours x
Wow! Love this post that you wrote. They’re really cute to have as pets. Same as for other animals, it’s better to know your commitment first before getting one.
I have animal phobia just scared of animals. My daughter loves animals and she wants a cat imagine a cat does she not know cats scare the hell out of me. Interesting to read about your love of animals.
My daughter has been talking about wanting to get a turtle. I can see why many people love them. They are super, as she says, “chill.” Turtles are lovely, thanks for sharing.
These are great information. These turtles are so cute. Thanks for sharing.
I had red eared sliders growing up. The love is one-sided but they were great pets. I learned a lot about responsibility from my childhood turtles.
Interesting facts about the turtle that I never knew. I have a friend that has one. Had him for 15 years Looks like he’ll be around much longer.
I had no idea that they had such an incredible life span! They are such adorable creatures.
We have a pet turtle and he’s been with us in the past 25 years! He just spend everyday walking around the garden. We play with him sometimes but he really does want us not to bother him hahaha
These turtles are adorable! I do agree that turtle pets are as important as other house hold pets.
xo, Sondra
Cuisineandtravel.com
i have a friend who LOVES turtles. I’ll share this post with her, although she might already know some of this information 🙂
Fascinating. I had no clue they could live that long. Imagine your parents getting one on the day you were bone, and having it for over 50 years? wow 🙂
Interesting article. I had 2 turtles when I was younger. They make great pets for kids.
This is interesting to read I would have had no idea they could live so long! Imagine having a pet that you could have for so many years!
I petted a turtle in my childhood days. They are so lovely. They need to be taken care of.
They are so pretty, that’s for sure. My daughter would love to have one, I’m sure. I’m surprised they can live so long!
My grand daughter wants to adopt or foster a turtle but we won’t let her if they’re under 4 inches. They carry salmonella at this size. She’d be great with them, but I don’t think she’d be clean enough at 10 years old to have one under the recommended size. She has to be reminded to wash her hands all the time.
I loved turtles as a little kid my mom would get my brother and me turtles. and we had a bunch of them and then we even would help turtles if we found some that were hurt we grew up first in South Florida and then Panama and there were a bunch of turtles in the area.
That’s awesome. I do drive arounds looking for turtles on the roads and move them to a safe location. I live in Georgia but have always wanted to see the sea turtles.
love this article! that turtle is so cute