life expectancy of turtles

I got one at eight years old, Pee-Wee, I had him until I was 36 and he didn't die. He escaped out of the house never to be seen again. It's good you are doing your research ahead of time. Too many people get turtles and have no idea how much care they actually need. They need a large appropriate habitat, that includes lighting and heat. I like this website for information on proper housing, care and nutrition http://www.theturtlesource.com/caresheets.asp. I have another turtle, same kind as my first, his name is PJ and he is 4. I purchased him from a breeder in Florida. PJ is a Asian Yellow Pond Turtle. His home is a 50 gallon pond in my family room, it is filtered, heated and has a heat/UV ray lighting too. The pond is full of guppies for hunting. Right now PJ is in my backyard pond for the remainder of the Summer, that pond is 1500 gallons and full of goldfish and frogs. I fully expect PJ to outlive me and one of my sons to take him. A good place to find turtles for free is your local Craigslist, always lots reptiles listed, as most people get bored after a year.


Outside pond



Indoor pond

I have 2 red eared slider turtles named Bill and Ted that I got in Aug of 2006. They're shells were the size of quarters when I got them. Now they are about 8-9 inches from front to back. I was told if they are kept in good health they can live upwards of 70 years. They are a lot of work to keep their tank clean. Almost weekly I have to maintenance the tank. But it is worth it. I would love to post pics but I seem to be technologically impaired. Good luck on you're search though.