Turtles:good pets?

Question
Hello,

I'm 12 years old and was wondering if turtles make good pets. I live in Australia and my cousins have a Murray River Turtle and the local bank has two turtles in a tank in their foyer.

Do they generally get lonely on their own? Also, is it true that they are really hard to keep alive and happy?

If I do get turtle/s, I want them to be happy so  Thankyou.  

Answer
Turtles are good pets, with a few conditions...

1. Pond or water turtles take kind of a lot of care. You have to keep the aquarium clean and the right temp, use the right kind of food, provide the right kind of heat and light, etc. You basically need to create a whole special world for them- and that can be kind of tricky- especially for some people.

2. Some species are better pets than others, and the easiest ones to get are not always the best pets.

3. A happy turtle can live a really long time- 10-20 years is common for many species. Som you not only keep a pet NOW, you need to be ready to KEEP providing good care until about the year 2014 or even 2024!

Now- before you get too freaked out- remember that these conditions apply to pet dogs, too (except most of us do not keep our dog in an aquarium!)

For many species, you can get some good information at the site www.tortoises.org.