Bought a turtle at the Campus Center? Anna Pachner ’09 advises that you check out the caresheets at RedEarSlider.com in order to not kill the thing. How difficult can it be? Check it:
“In general, turtle care can be complicated, overwhelming and expensive. This is especially true to new owners and is not recommended for younger members of our society. There are sudden and random expenses, unforeseen illnesses and countless other responsibilities on those who cannot be relied on. RES are not disposable pets that can be placed in a bowl or released into the wild. RES may be inexpensive to acquire or easily found, but they need to have specific conditions to remain healthy and thrive.”
I actually owned one of these turtles when I was a kid. His name was Snurtle, and that’s a shitty Microsoft Paint rendition of him by 9 year-old me. You can’t put plants in the tank, because they’ll get eaten. You can’t put fish in the tank, because they’ll get eaten. They’re dirty, they smell, they eat their own poop and grow to ridiculous sizes. I loved Snurtle, but damn, why didn’t I just get a dog or something?