A pet turtle—you can’t take it for a walk or play fetch and it could make you very sick

 

Tiny pet turtles were all the rage in the 1970’s when it was found that the cute little reptiles were a source of illnesses resulting from salmonella contamination.

The FDA banned the sale of turtles less than four inches long in 1975, but they’re back!

Illnesses have been reported in 30 states since last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although selling them is against the law, a thriving black market with turtles raised on turtle farms is selling them at flea markets, parking lots, stores and on the internet. It is hard to shut down these kinds of operations.

According to the CDC, there have been eleven turtle-related salmonella outbreaks since 2006, sickening 535 people.

Turtles of all sizes shed salmonella in their droppings and the bacteria clings to their shells and skin. People who touch the turtle or wash the aquarium (sometimes in the kitchen sink--ew!) can spread the salmonella.

“In a space the size of a pinhead, you can have up to a million salmonella bacteria,” said Eduardo Groisman, a microbiology professor at the Yale School of Medicine. “That’s more than enough to make a person sick.” Source

Children are especially vulnerable because of their immature immune systems and the fact they are not careful about washing their hands. The FDA also found cases of children kissing their pet turtles or putting them in their mouths.

One parking lot seller in Maryland insists he isn’t selling turtles. He’s selling the cages and giving the turtles away free. He’ll get a chance to make his case to the judge or face $500 in fines and one year in jail. The story

Baby turtles...not such a good idea for a pet.

 

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a pet that is long lived and  low maintenance, an adult tortoise might fit the bill. A missing family pet allegedly survived for 30 years in a locked room eating termites.

People with pet reptiles say that they are gentle, affectionate and low maintenance. Depending on the species they can live up to 100 years. But they never learn to play fetch.

Comments

[Sherry in MT]

I remember when those little guys were all the rage, in fact though the bigger versions are still really popular in the pet stores today. I had no idea they spread salmonella.

[Jodi]

EW put the turtles in their mouths?

[Jan]

I have actually seen kids kissing and putting tiny turtles in their mouths.

[Linda]

If a kid has a pet I'm sure they kiss it! No turtles for me!

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com

[Becky]

I do remember the little turtles being sold. I probably wanted one then.

[geogia little pea]

Guilty guilty guilty! I had 3 pet tortoises in the 80s. They were small when I got them and grew too big to keep despite several aquarium changes. In the end, I had to drop them off at a lake. I took them for walks every day in the yard, or let them run around the house. They would sit on the rocks and make little noises. Memories! :)

[maude]

I wonder if the turtles can be treated with antibiotics to make them safe to have as a pet.

[jet]

Turtles are cute but maybe a plastic wind up one would be better! I think I will always have traditional pets though - cats and dogs and more cats and dogs ;) and perhaps a bunny or some chickens later on when I move somewhere we are allowed to keep them.

[Donna]

I never saw the point in owning caged animals. It's not like you can cuddle them. As for the parking lot vendor, you got to give him credit for trying!

[Karen Friesecke]

Surprisingly, hedgehogs carry salmonella, too.

http://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/2013/02/articles/animals/other-animals/hedgehog-salmonella-update

[mb.]

I am not crazy about people keeping these as pets BUT there is one sure-fire way to avoid getting sick: after you handle the turtle wash your hands. In fact, after you scoop poop or change a diaper, etc. you should wash your hands. I am always STUNNED by people who don't. Also it helps if you don't put the turtles in your mouth. YECK!

[yellowdoggranny]

when the kids were little we always had a small turtle..but thom would free them and they'd get lost and eventually die..he couldn't stand to see anything caged or pent up..

[Brent]

What is it about the little ones that make them so much more toxic?

[dog drying towel]

I believe I will always have conventional pets though - cats and dogs and further cats and dogs.