And don’t drill holes in them or paint em. Its painful and toxic and you’ll make the poor things cry! 

Our turtles love having their heads and chins scratched.  And a light pat on their shells.  No hits, or thumps.  They love good pets, please pet them with love.

Shells are LITERALLY their backbone, imagine if someone thumped you hard on the spine. It would suck right? Don’t do it. 

Also their shells are covered in a VERY thin layer of fingernail-like material called scutes. When you paint it, a) it’s very easy for the toxins in the paint to absorb into the turtle’s system and poison them, b) it cuts off circulation to the thin layer of living skin below the scutes, c) it deforms the shell because turtles, especially young turtles, grow rapidly and the paint will inhibit proper shell growth and d) prevents the turtle from absorbing necessary vitamin D from UV rays (you know, that stuff they need to live). NEVER EVER PAINT A TURTLE EVER.

Next time you want to knock on a turtle/tortoise shell, go ask your neighbor to punch you in the ribs, and see how that feels. Not only is it the spine, but their lungs sit near the top of the curve as well—THIS IS WHY TURTLES/TORTOISES CAN DIE IF LEFT FLIPPED OVER TOO LONG, IT IS VERY DISTRESSING FOR THEIR BODIES.

be gentle with living beings you are responsible for.