When pet turtles are illegal, only criminals will have pet turtles...or something like that

@mhjhm: This isn't far off from the truth. Smaller turtles are already illegal to buy unless for "research purposes". Apparently, they are more likely to spread salmonella than are larger turtles.

I has illgalz turlulz :D

I heard about this on NPR awhile back. Their story also mentioned the issue about smaller turtles being more likely to spread salmonella - but according to them the reason is that smaller children are more likely to put the smaller ones IN THEIR MOUTHS! Yuck!

salmonella salmonella salmonella salmonella salmonella salmonella salmonella salmonella

So... don't... put them in your mouth?

I like tuwhtles. [youtube.com]

This is stupid. Legal turtles are just as likely to cause salmonella.

As a former owner of an exotic pet store, I can say the following with fair certainty:

* The likelihood of contracting salmonella from a turtle is the same regardless of the turtle's size or age.

* The likelihood of a child falling in love with a turtle and demanding that the parents buy him/her a turtle NOW NOW NOW PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE is inversely proportional to the size of the turtle.

In reality, the only reason that the law prohibiting the non-educational and non-research sale of turtles under four inches works is that children don't want the non-adorable turtles over four inches.

Honestly: Good. Those turtles, assuming they survive the sloppy husbandry, would be somehow put to ugly deaths upon reaching non-cute status anyway. Tangentially, that's why we refused to sell iguanas.

I was a turtle maniac as a kid. Growing up in the country I LOVED box turtles! (three-toed and the ornate varieties) I'd find them all over. Only ever had one baby box turtle though.

Never got salmonella from them though, of course I never put them in my mouth or put my turtle-tainted fingers in my mouth (that I know of anyway).

TURTLES!!!!!

Relax folks. To get rid of the salmonella, just saute the little critters in butter, or boil them in water for a while.

mmmmmm, creole turtle soup: [www.gumbopages.com]

I never thought turtles were cute.

I love turtles and my kids did, too. This salmonella thing is not new at all. My kids are all grown and I would warn them about touching turtles and snakes, etc. and having to wash their hands immediately. We had box turtles that they found - but they weren't the little ones that were painted like when I was little back in the '50's. It's a very good thing to not let your kids have these animals as pets. It makes me so sad at how many small animals die needlessly and terribly because we mistakenly allow our kids to have them as pets. But then I also know that dogs just love to eat turtles. I've had several dogs who loved to do that (we live in a forested area). It always makes me sad.

@witeowl: That's why if I worked at a pet store, I'd only sell children tarantulas. Because big or small, they're just as cute. Or, err, not.

...and as far as putting them in their mouths? C'mon! Two! I dare ya!

Old news.

You can get salmonella from so many things. It is just a matter of keeping your hands clean.

Obviously if you're going to handle a turtle, wash your damned hands after.

But the two girls in the story got it from swimming in "an unchlorinated, in-ground swimming pool" where the turtles were "allowed" to swim.
There's a reason to use chlorine in a pool...people who swim in it could get sick and die is one of them.

I get to blame the consumer!! [happy dance]
Seriously, yeccch.

So the Ninja Turtles have secretly been trafficking in biological weapons this whole time?

The first time I took my wife to my grandparents place in WV I showed her how to set traps for snapping turtles and had my grandma cook her up some from a previous visit. Best eatin's ever!!!

@doctor_cos: I'm with you. Not chlorinating your swimming pool is the height of irresponsibility.

And, remember, we're not blaming the victim here. We're blaming the victim's parents!

@nrwfos:

EAT turtles!!?? We had a doberman pinscher on the farm who would go out into the fields & bring back turtles in his mouth, but he would never eat them or chew on them. I would think the shells would protect them from being eaten by dogs (unless they were so tiny that they could swallow them whole).