[__ Science __ ] The Turtle Club

I love turtles! :biggrin Although I don't love them as much as cats and dogs but for some reason I've always been fascinated with them even though they don't do much and more of a look but don't touch pet. Anyways, the reason that I'm posting this in the science section is that I really want a turtle because believe it or not besides my love of them I love the fact that they have a long lifespan (even if he or she might outlive me) because it always makes me cry when I lose a pet and have to say goodbye even though I believe very strongly in the fact that I will see them again someday.





However, my mother says that the reason I can't have one is because she doesn't like the fact that they carry salmonella and I thought that the only time you would catch it is if you didn't wash your hands after touching, petting, or handling a turtle? Anyways, I hope somebody who knows a lot about turtles will give me an answer to this question. Also I would like to know more about turtles since I plan on having one after I move out someday.





Also if you're like me and don't know that much about turtles but you just want to share the fact that you're a fellow turtle lover feel free to do so. Turtle lovers unite! For those of you who haven't seen this before my mom took this picture a little while back and we figured out since then that it is the common snapping turtle.











Also I just had to share this clip for obvious reasons.

jasonc said:

The turtles you think of might be illegal . They are in NC. Cant sell them .they are able to grow big, like gold fish ,the bigger the tank ,they will grow to match . I have ones we cant eat yes you can eat a turtle,some cant swim ,most of them are hard shell.no one will want the gator snapping turtle who can swim and will bite an arm off.nor a loggerhead,

Golfer tortoises I'm unsure if you can have them. I have read a meter with notes of danger turtle, I added one note.i have his photo. I thought he was an outdoor lawn ornament until I picked him up to move it out of the way hissed and tried to get me. Not agression just scared. Owner laughed when I told him.

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Well yes obviously some domesticated turtles are illegal to own.

Nathan12 said:

Turtles were never meant to be household pets. And the possibility of them contaminating your home with bacteria and virus could be high. They may be immune to many pathogens whereas you may not.

But you can always opt for boxed turtles and enjoy them!

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I don't know too much about box turtles but what about washing your hands after touching them? Are they the ones that Jason was talking about that are illegal to keep because it seems like a lot of people have them.

Nathan12 said:

You mean you have never tried a chocolate turtle? You will definitely want a box after trying one.

As to real turtles, here is what the FDA has to say:
Turtles commonly carry the Salmonella bacteria on their outer skin and shell surfaces. Geckos can also infect people with Salmonella. The little glassy-eyed creatures may look cute and harmless, but small turtles can make people very ill. Turtles commonly carry Salmonella bacteria on their outer skin and shell surfaces.

People can get infected with Salmonella by coming in contact with:

• Turtles or other reptiles (lizards, snakes);
• Amphibians (frogs, salamanders, newts); and
• The habitats of reptiles or amphibians, such as cages, tanks and aquariums.

Salmonella can cause a serious or even life-threatening infection in people, even though the bacteria do not make reptiles or amphibians sick. One example: the 2007 death of a 4-week-old baby in Florida linked to Salmonella from a small turtle. The DNA of the Salmonella from the turtle matched that from the infant.

People infected with Salmonella may have diarrhea, fever, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and headache. Symptoms usually appear six to 72 hours after contact with the bacteria and last about two to seven days. Most people recover without treatment; but some can become so sick that they need to be treated in a hospital.

Pet Turtles: Cute But Commonly Contaminated with Salmonella

www.fda.gov

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Oh yes I heard of chocolate turtles hehe but anyways back to my original question,.. can you still get Salmonella even after washing your hands from touching/petting/handling a turtle?

Oh yeah and I don't care much for chocolate turtles and I didn't realize that other reptiles and even frogs carried the same disease. :neutral

WIP said:

Were any animals meant to be household pets?

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That depends on what you mean by that.

WIP said:

I mean exactly what I wrote. What other way could I mean it?

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Like originally when they first roamed the earth or after domestication? Meaning do you believe people should own pets today?

WIP said:

Whether we should or should not own pets is not the question. I replied to the statement, "Turtles were never meant to be household pets." Is there any creature of God that was meant to be a pet. Did God ever say that He created a creature to be kept as a pet?

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No, but then again He never said that we shouldn't either so now that I answered your question I would really appreciate it if you answered mine.

WIP said:

You didn't answer my question. For an animal to be "meant" as a pet implies that God created it specifically for that purpose. Did He ever do that? He never created any animal to be destined as a pet. We domesticated some and took some out of their God-given environment and turned them into pets for our purpose, not God's.

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So let me guess,... you don't believe in pets then? I don't care whether you do or don't or are a spokesman for PETA, I'm just curious.