what is the biggest turtle?

[MarlboroMan]

Sulcattas are relativley easy to keep. They are faily cheap too, you can get a 4" for like 40 bucks if you search for it. They get huge and will need a large back yard.

 

[dacox]

Why is it you all want the largest of everything. You see something and want it with out even thing about how many are left in the wild. get a clue and a normal easily obtainable tortoise/turtle. they take years to grow and will outlive you. you will have to pass it down for generations and you dont even know if your kids or other family mebers or anybody elss for that matter will agree to keep an animal that size. Think about how big an enclosure you will need, how much food you will need, how to heat something that size up. etc. leave them for the wild before theres none left. ( dont care if its captive bred leave it you wont want it when your old and weak and its bigg and strong )

You need to chill. You'll live longer. All of your posts are so negative. You said basically the same thing in my "Frillies" thread. I realize everyone is entitled to their opinion, but sometimes its best kept to yourself.

What do you know about this person, or where they keep their animals, or their family's committment to their pet keeping, etc? I'm sure they have already considered the requirements of keeping such a turtle before starting a thread titled, "what is the biggest turtle?" There are nicer ways to get your point accross (I'm not sure it was even necessary in this case), and you will offend far fewer people with an attitude change.

Now, about the original post. As far as turtles go, I like the alligator snapper. I am more of a tortoise fan in general though, so if you were thinking about going that route, I like the sulcata suggestion. They get large, are common, are reasonably priced, and are, in my opinion, attractive. A step down in size from them, and one that I really like is the Leopard tortoise at 15-20" range. Hope this helps.

 

[guppy]

is that the 10 footer?

No, that one was only about seven feet and was tagged as part of a tracking project.

 

[viciousconvict]

I would agree with the aldabra toirtoise. The biggest legal land turtle is the alligator snapper, but to get an idea of the joys of keeping them as pets are....

http://j.b5z.net/i/u/2051986/i/Dsc02761.jpg


I would definitely buy form nature coast, because they take unwanteds back.

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EDIT
On the other hand, it does take them a while to get that size- we have had an alligator snapper at the museum for upwards of ten years and let me tell you, they grow slow but they move fast. Once it broke through the plexiglass divider and ate a redeared slider
...and a duckling
...and six chubs
...and a brook trout