Mini turtles are, unfortunately, not a real thing.Turtles are not being bred to produce a smaller breed of turtle. While some breeds of turtles may be able to cross breed and successfully reproduce offspring, many cannot. If a person or place that sells turtles is advertising something called mini turtles for sale, they are most likely just trying to sell baby turtles.
There are some breeds of turtles that never get longer than 3 inches (8 cm) as full grown adults. However, it’s illegal for anyone to sell a turtle that is shorter than 4 inches (9 cm) at the time of the sale. It should be noted that buying a turtle of this size is not illegal.
The best defense that you can have against buying a turtle that is supposedly mini, only to discover that it was a baby and grew to a much larger size, is to be able to identify at least some of the more common breeds of turtle.
If you do want to get a turtle to raise as a pet but do not wish to have one that will grow to be more than a few inches long, look up breeds of turtles that tend to be smaller. The internet has a wealth of pictures of turtles at different stages. You should be able to find plenty of pictures that will help you to identify a specific breed of turtle that will work for you.
Another thing that you can do is to go and look at the advertised mini turtles. Examine their shells and any markings they have. Then go home and look at pictures of turtles. If the seller will not be honest with you about the actual breed of turtle, you should be able to easily discover it online or in a book about turtles. You may not want to buy a turtle from a seller who is falsely advertising their merchandise. As long as you know what type of turtle it really is and it looks healthy, there really shouldn’t be too much of an issue.
Don’t buy a turtle if you are not completely comfortable with the sale, though.
Look for clean tanks that are not overcrowded. The turtles should not have dry, cracked skin. The eyes should be clear and bright and they should move all of their extremities when you pick them up, as if they are resisting. A turtle can be a very rewarding pet, as long as you are willing to put the time into taking care of it.
Don’t just buy a turtle on impulse because it’s advertised as being a mini turtle and you want to join the trend.