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hi some of you guys already kinda know me i have the baby res named kermie and i have mentioned that from what i understand where we got the turtle it was against the law to sell them. well today i found out by the food and drug admin. that they shut the turtle place down and for any one that got one they are suggesting that we realese it into the wild. they said there is already 1 case of a child in the hospital with salmanella and she expects more. so now i am faced with do i let it go or can i keep it and keep me and my son safe. i will not let my child hold it any more and i am setting up a 10 gall. tank today for it. i bought the water conditioner that says it helps with the salamenella ( it is the turtle shaped one ) and if by chance i do have a vet i can take it to. so to maake me feel better please give me your information and help me decide if it is a big deal or not. i really dont want to get rid of it because my son will cry but if it is that dangerous i will from what i see many of people have them and they are fine but just please help.

not a big deal at all. How old is your son? If he's just a little guy, it should be a "look but don't touch" pet. Wash your hands before and after handling your turtle or any of the stuff in his tank and you'll both be fine.

Just a side note. I hate it when people who have NO IDEA what they're talking about pass out lousy advice like that. Even if you decided you didn't want to keep it, releasing it into the wild is just wrong. *stepping off the podium now*

I would just keep it. I read an old news article from my vet that the scare of turtles and salmonella is linked to an outbreak in the 70s where young schoolkids got infected after putting the turtles in their mouths. I agree with the look-but-don't-touch rule. And as long as you wash your hands before and after, you should be fine.

When I got my turtles, I was very clueless. And then when I found out about the salmonella factor, I was totally freaked out. (I am a bit of a hypochondriac as it is.) But now I don't even think about it anymore. Just be careful and it's not a big deal.

And if you're worried about having an "illegal" pet, then don't be! I've taken my little illegal turtle to a couple vets and even to pet stores with me. The vets said that they see PLENTY of them on a regular basis. They are only illegal if they are really little. This is probably because they are small enough to fit into a kid's mouth. But no one is going to turn you into the police or anything.

do not release a captive turtle. it might be invasive, it might spread disease, it might be susceptible to disease. it might not be able to adjust to dramatic temp changes and it might not have fear of people and predators.

wash hands before and after handling your turtle. keep it and it's supplies/filters/water out of the kitchen (or any food preparation area) and bathroom. keep your tank clean and your water clean.. avoid feeding too much live prey. explain to everyone how they should handle a turtle incase they have to. good luck.

The FDA is telling people to release captive turtles into the wild? If so, this is really irresponsible and something you don't want to do. It wasn't illegal for you to buy the turtle, but it was illegal to sell it to you (unless you signed something saying the turtle was for educational purposes). You have nothing to be worried about.

The turtle-shaped water conditioner will not help with salmonella, but I really don't think you have to be overly worred about getting it if you take a few simple precautions as mentioned above (and in response to one of your earlier posts)--keep your turtle healthy with a good habitat and diet and wash your hands thoroughly if you handle your turtle or any of his things. I also wouldn't clean your turtle's things where food is prepared (i.e., the kitchen sink). And since I think your son is 3, I would have the turtle be a pet to watch, not touch.

Turtles carry salmonella in their intestines and release it when they're sick/stressed. So keeping him healthy is important (and a healthy turtle is a happy turtle).

Read the responses to your earlier post (yesterday) for information on what your turtle needs to thrive. Good luck. Don't worry so much.

BTW, should you need a herp vet and don't know of one, go to the sticky on locating a vet in the Urgent Care Forum and try to find one from the links there.

ok guys i am keepin kermie!!!! the more i thought about what the fda said i started to think why would you do that, it most definatley wouldnt survive. they really care alot about them ! NOT !
i talked to my vet who is an all animal vet and she said there is no big deal and do not release it or it will die she said i have a better chance of getting salmenella from raw chicken or something. so i am not worried. the fda can call my house all they want and i will not get rid of kermie he is now an official member of the walck family. he is regissterd at my vet and will recieve care at all times. my son and i had a talk today about him just lookin at kermie and not playing with him so we are one big happy family thanks !!!

I'd like to add that I use the kitchen sink to clean all the tank 'furniture' and I hook up my python there as well. I'm a germaphobe tho, so I make sure to wash everything down afterwards, then go over everything with disinfectant spray at least three times (a touch of OCD in me as well)