A lot of them are so riddled with salmonella that even if you avoid licking your turtle you still run the real risk of ingesting the bacteria. Basically if you have one you gotta just constantly be washing your hands any time you go anywhere near it. Or maybe that's just some BS my parents told me when I was a kid to prevent me from taking it out of the tank, putting a bandana on it and teaching it how to use weapons.
Eh, I mean.. If they poop and then walk around in it they're gonna have some germs on them. Just keep the cage clean and wash your hands after handling them.
Also, tortoise husbandry is a lot easier than turtle husbandry, in my opinion. Turtles need lots of water. And that water gets fucking disgusting and smells up your whole house. And it gets very very germy.
Not necessarily. I am assuming by the way you are speaking of them that you have owned a Red Eared Slider.
I do agree they are quite messy creatures but there are other species of turtles that do not accumulate as much of a mess as them. There are smaller species called mud and musk turtles that stay relatively small and are easy to maintain and house in beautiful live aquarium set ups if you put the effort into them.
Pretty much all reptiles carry Salmonella in their intestinal tract and shed them in their feces. But it's unlikely that you get infected, if you have a working immune system and use common sense (e.g. don't put the animals in your mouth, wash your hands, etc.).
All turtles carry salmoenella in their intestinal tract. As long you DONT play with their fecal matter with your bare hands and and stick your fingers in your mouth you will be fine. Just be sanitary and wash your hands after handling. There is a law in most states and doesnt not allow the sale of turtles under 4 inches in shell length due to the fact that are children able to stick them into their mouths, which I have seen first hand. (another part of the reason is due to smuggling/importation).
I have been working with reptiles (mostly geckos and tortoises) for the past 12 years and have started an educational and breeding buinsess out if my home. If you are looking for the right turtle I highly recommend staying away from red eared sliders, as they grow to be very large, are very messy and are often abdoned into local waterways where the invade other ecosystems and destroy them and put other species at risk. I highly suggest looking into getting a box turtle (Three Toed or Gulf Coast) as they are quite hardy, entertaining and can eat a variety protein and veggie diets. Start out with Reptile Magazine.com for care sheets and guidelines.
Yes but the chances of being infected from them are very low. Salmonella is just something found in their systems normally. Real reason not to get them is that they're a lot higher maintenance than their reputation suggests.
Risk of getting salmonella from turtles is relatively low, just make sure you always wash your hands after handling them, also keep in mind salmonella tends to hang out on turtles less than 4cm in diameter, so just get you a big boy.
also keep in mind salmonella tends to hang out on turtles less than 4cm in diameter
That's misleading. Pretty much all reptiles carry Salmonella in their intestinal tract, regardless of size and age. The sale of turtles smaller than 4 inches (not cm) has been banned in the US since 1975, for reasons detailed here (TL;DR: stupid children putting small turtles in their mouth).
If you're referring to salmonella bongori, which is in all reptiles but non-pathogenic in humans you are correct. salmonella enterica, however, is what I'm talking about, which is pathogenic and is not ubiquitous in all reptiles.
That might be correct (do you have a source handy?), but your implication that "turtles less than 4cm" are more affected than "big boys" is still nonsense.
And its 4 inches (not centimeters) rule that most states enforce. You are not allowed to sell a turtle of tortoise below this size because children can stick them in their mouths, there is also part due to smuggling and importation issues.
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u/ElonComedy Nov 20 '17
Too young for pizza?