How Much Does a Turtle Cost? 2025 Price Update

Turtles are among the lowest-maintenance pets that you can find. They are slow-moving and not demanding, yet they are unique and can be quite entertaining. If you have an interest in buying and owning a turtle, ensure that you can care for them properly by having a budget ready. You can spend upward of $400 or more if you want something rare, but most turtles cost $20 to $100.

Bringing Home a New Turtle: One-Time Costs

Buying the turtle itself is one of the primary one-time costs you’ll encounter, along with getting a proper enclosure. Turtles are not hard on the materials that they live with, so they do not need replacing frequently, if at all.

Free

Some people will be looking to rehome their turtles. Since these are generally not expensive pets to begin with, they are not often associated with a rehoming fee. Instead, rescuing a turtle will likely be free as long as you have all the right materials.

Adoption

If you’re looking to adopt a turtle, you could go to a local pet store or even a pet shelter. If someone in the local community couldn’t find a new home for their turtle before they ran out of time, they may have given them to the shelter. Pet stores are also likely to have a small range of turtles for adoption.

Breeder

If you are a serious turtle owner, you can adopt one from a breeder. Expect your turtle to cost from $50 to $100. Although there are not very many turtle breeders out there, you can find them developing rarer and more interesting turtle varieties. Frequently, even if a breeder raises typical turtle species, they will be more expensive than adopting them or buying them from a pet shop.

Supplies Cost

The amount you spend on the supplies for your turtle’s enclosure is primarily up to you. Most of what you purchase at the beginning will be a one-time investment into an animal that can live for as long as you can. Turtles in captivity can live from 10 to 80 years!

List of Turtle Care Supplies and Cost

Cost of Annual Expenses

The annual expenses for a turtle are typically between $200 and $500 each year, depending on the kind of food that you choose to feed them, how often you clean their bedding and tank interior, and how many toys or supplies you put inside the tank.

A veterinary appointment is also a good part of the budget to factor into the turtle’s annual expenses.

Health Care

Primarily, all that you need to worry about for a turtle is their annual vet checkups. They do not need anything else when you first buy them because they do not get vaccinations and should not be microchipped, and any surgery to spay or neuter them is extremely invasive.

Check-Ups

Check-ups are typically the only facet of healthcare that you will need to worry about for your turtle. Take them to a vet who knows about reptiles and will give them a thorough once-over without doing anything invasive. This treatment should be enough to verify their overall health for the next year.

Vaccinations

Vaccinations are entirely unnecessary for most reptiles, and that includes turtles. These boxy little animals do not have many things that they suffer from and thus do not need to be protected via shots. The pet health industry has never had cause to develop vaccines for turtles, so there are none that you can give to your pet.

Dental

Dental care at the hands of a vet is unnecessary because turtles don’t have teeth. Instead, they are similar to birds in that they only have a beak. Supposedly, there have been turtle teeth found in fossils, but modern-day turtles no longer have anything but a powerful jaw that can rip their prey of choice apart easily.

Treatments for Parasites

One of the few things that turtles can suffer from is being infested with parasites. Like almost any other creature, turtles can contract parasites like flukes, tapeworms, flagellates, and nematodes.

Without treatment, some of these issues can be life-threatening. If you think that your turtle suffers from a parasite, perhaps from some of their food, then take them to your vet. They will prescribe them the appropriate medication and treatment to rid them of their unwanted friends.

Emergencies

It can be challenging to estimate how much you could expect to spend if your turtle needs emergency surgery or treatment. These do not often happen, since you can carefully monitor the safety of their environment. Try to have at least $100 put away for turtle-related emergencies so you are ready if they happen once or twice in a turtle’s very long life.

Medications for On-Going Conditions

It is rare for your turtle to have on-going conditions for which they will continuously need to take medication. However, perhaps as they age and their bodies change, they might develop an issue. It is not common for any medication for a turtle to be expensive, so you don’t have to worry about paying too much for their maintenance each year.

Insurance

Insuring a turtle is not a common thing to do since they are generally cheap pets. However, some of these animals are considered exotics and might be worth something in the right market. If you want to protect your turtle or your investment in them, taking out insurance isn’t a bad idea. Turtle insurance often starts at around $4 each month but can extend to over $100 if your turtle species is quite rare.

Food Costs

Your turtle’s diet will depend on their species. Terrestrial turtles are omnivores and need a mix of insects like grubs, earthworms, or snails, along with fruit and leafy greens.

You can easily find a good mix of turtle food at a pet store or order some if you want more control over their diet. It is easy to add food for your turtle right onto your grocery list.

Environment Maintenance

Your pet turtle’s maintenance is not that high. Once you have made that initial investment, their environment is easily managed. You may want to replace old toys or tank equipment every so often, but the budget for that is minimal. Ensure that their heat lamps are always functioning correctly and that their environment is relatively clean, and your turtle will be happy.

Entertainment

Turtles are simple creatures and do not need much to keep them entertained. There are certain turtle toys or structures that you can get for them, but this is entirely up to you and how much you want to invest in your pet annually.

Total Annual Cost of Owning a Turtle

The total annual cost of owning a turtle can be meager, especially compared to other common household pets. These figures do not incorporate the initial purchase of your turtle or their cage because after you get this setup, you will not have to make those purchases again.

Owning a Turtle on a Budget

Turtles are not difficult pets to own on a budget since they are so low-maintenance. They do not require much to keep them occupied. Try to invest in a high-quality tank and materials for their enclosure initially, and the rest of the time you own the turtle should be relatively cheap.

You can easily get away with spending only $20 a month on them and keep them perfectly happy and healthy.

Saving Money on Turtle Care

There are not too many ways to save money on your turtle care since they are already cheap. You mustn’t skimp too much on their bedding and the food that you give them, as these are the most influential parts of their lives.

In the beginning, you can get a tank that is high-quality but then get cheaper materials to put inside their enclosure until you can save up to replace them with nicer things.

Final Thoughts

The initial cost to get a turtle and all their supplies might seem a bit steep to some people, especially those who want high-quality items. You can spend upward of $400 or more on a turtle if you so choose. However, it isn’t necessary to break the bank if you simply want this pet, and you can also supplement their enclosure as time goes on.

Once you have made these initial investments, it is easy and relatively cheap to annually care for a turtle. Ensure that you have something set aside for emergencies, and enjoy your new pet!

Related Reads:

• Male vs. Female Red Eared Slider Turtle
• How Do Turtles Breathe & Can They Underwater?

Featured Image Credit: Magrietha, Pixabay