My children
had red eared sliders (water turtle) when we lived in Texas--before they were outlawed due to the Salmonella problem. My take on them:

1---no fun as you can't really play with them
2-- they bite hard!
3- they stink up the whole house! The water needs cleaned almost daily.
4- those little tiny things can grow as big as a dinner plate so a large aquarium is a must.