Pet Turtles & Salmonella

Video Transcript

"Ok, the last thing we're going to talk about, I'm sorry not the last thing, but one of the last things we're going to talk about, is the little bit of controversy that goes around with aquatic turtles. Of course, there's a federal law against the sale of any turtle under four inches, that came around the 70's, and basically the reason that exists, is due to a fear of salmonella. They were finding in the 70's with the purchase of very small turtles, baby turtles about a quarter size, and so basically, there was a salmonella scare. Salmonella of course, is a bacteria that can cause illness in people, though generally it preys on people with compromised immune systems, be them small children or very old individuals. All turtles have salmonella, period. In fact, truth be told, most things in the world have salmonella. Go outside, run your hand through the dirt. You have salmonella on your hand, now. Now there are various types of salmonella, and to be fair, the majority of the quote, unquote scare of salmonella with turtles,is a moot point. Wash your hands before and after handling them, and you should never have a problem. I've handled turtles all my life. In fact as a child handling turtles, being a child, failed to wash my hands on multiple occasions, if not more often than not, and I've never gotten salmonella. I've never known anybody who has gotten salmonella, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be careful. You should always be careful. Wash your hands before and after , especially if you have young children in the house, but I wouldn't be overly concerned with it. You probably have a better, not probably, you do have a better chance of catching salmonella from your mother's cooking, than you do from handling this turtle, no offense to your mother."