Turtles are portable, cheap, and unlike snakes or lizards, aren't prone to sneak out of their tanks. Still, pet turtles need a lot of care like elaborate housing, a good water filtration system, and special UV lighting to keep them from developing soft shell syndrome-a deadly condition that occurs when the turtles don't get enough calcium. Also, turtles harbor Salmonella bacteria, which can easily infect children who handle them.