Hi! Introduce yourselves here. :: Hi, two baby RESs here PICS

[jenaero]

Yep... Thats it... but today, you are more likely to get Salmonella from raw eggs (trust me: all guys have tried that) than the turtle because they are now sanitary.

There is no such thing as a sanitary turtle. They all carry salmonella. It's a necessary gut bacteria.

[Wes_RES]

Sanitary as in "less likely to spread it".

Not sanitary as in "clean".

[jenaero]

san·i·tar·y (sn-tr)
adj.

Of or relating to health.
Free from elements, such as filth or pathogens, that endanger health; hygienic.

[Wes_RES]

I meant sanitary as less likely to spread it, not by the definition- oh, i should just give up. like at school, i should quit complaining about the people who pick on me.

[jenaero]

I'm not picking on you. You're sharing incorrect information. There is no such thing as a sanitary animal. There are no turtles out there that are "less likely" to spread salmonella. It's just a fact.

[Wes_RES]

Raised in more Sanitary conditions than 20 yrs ago.

[MiLhOuSe]

Okay, I don't even know why I'm saying this, but jenaero is right. That is the correct definition for sanitary, and Wes_RES, you could just have said clean. Just putting this out there, don't hurt me.

[sQuirtle]

I just have a question, do they really ALL carry salmonella? Because in the section of this website concerning salmonella it says you should go to the vet to check if your turtle has salmonella. but even if they don't, they can get it at a later date.

So I was just getting confused as to whether they all have salmonella for sure?

[jenaero]

All animals carry it to some degree. You'll see some sites selling what they claim to be "salmonella-free" turtles and it's just not possible.

The only time it poses a danger to us is if we don't properly wash our hands after handling them or cleaning the tank. We also have to make sure to disinfect anything that the turtles or their accessories come in contact with (countertops, etc)

[CountryGirl68]

Here is some stuff I've found throughout the internet about "salmonella-free" turtles:

Most, if not all, reptiles carry Salmonella in their intestinal tract and intermittently or continuously shed these bacteria in their feces.

Furthermore, turtles only shed Salmonella intermittenly, so a negative test is unreliable. A secondary concern is the accidental production of antibiotic resistant Salmonella instead.

Cases have been documented where "Salmonella-free turtles" turned out not to be Salmonella-free, after all. But even the original research stated that a small percentage of treated eggs / hatchling were not free of Salmonella. There is also a lack of recent peer-reviewed research to prove the efficacy of the procedures used to produce Salmonella-free turtles.

Salmonella is very common in many cold-blooded animals, including turtles. This germ can be carried by both land and water turtles. Not all turtles have the bacteria, but they can carry Salmonella without getting sick.

You can find more info at peteducation.com, about.com, newton.dep.anl.gov, to name a few. Hope this information is helpful.

[sQuirtle]

Wow, thanks for the info!!

[steve]

Raised in more Sanitary conditions than 20 yrs ago.

Like it did 20 years ago, salmonella infections usually start at the farms where these turtles are breed and hatched. Poor husbandry and misinformation allow it to continue.

[Wes_RES]

You know? I found out why the law was passed...

Hilarious...

So little kids would take their baby turtles...

And stick them in their mouth.

Why? Apparantley, to get on AFV...

But sticking a turtle in your mouth?

Don't the parents care?

[steve]

The show was not around when they first passed the law. Where are you getting your information?

[Wes_RES]

I did not know that AFV was not around...