Other Turtle Discussion :: Wow..

[ellman605]

I was reading Title 21, Volume 8 of the FDA statements...and came across this, bolded are the things which i found as a shocker...

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TITLE 21--FOOD AND DRUGS
CHAPTER I--FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
SUBCHAPTER L--REGULATIONS UNDER CERTAIN OTHER ACTS ADMINISTERED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION

PART 1240 -- CONTROL OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

Subpart D--Specific Administrative Decisions Regarding Interstate Shipments
Sec. 1240.62 Turtles intrastate and interstate requirements.
(a) Definition. As used in this section the term "turtles" includes all animals commonly known as turtles, tortoises, terrapins, and all other animals of the order Testudinata, class Reptilia, except marine species (families Dermachelidae and Chelonidae).

(b) Sales; general prohibition. Except as otherwise provided in this section, viable turtle eggs and live turtles with a carapace length of less than 4 inches shall not be sold, held for sale, or offered for any other type of commercial or public distribution.

(c) Destruction of turtles or turtle eggs; criminal penalties. (1) Any viable turtle eggs or live turtles with a carapace length of less than 4 inches which are held for sale or offered for any other type of commercial or public distribution [b]shall be subject to destruction[/b] in a humane manner by or under the supervision of an officer or employee of the Food and Drug Administration in accordance with the following procedures:

(i) Any District Office of the Food and Drug Administration, upon detecting viable turtle eggs or live turtles with a carapace length of less than 4 inches which are held for sale or offered for any other type of commercial or public distribution, shall serve upon the person in whose possession such turtles or turtle eggs [b]are found a written demand that such turtles or turtle eggs be destroyed in a humane manner[/b] under the supervision of said District Office, within 10 working days from the date of promulgation of the demand. The demand shall recite with particularity the facts which justify the demand. After service of the demand, the person in possession of the turtles or turtle eggs shall not sell, distribute, or otherwise dispose of any of the turtles or turtle eggs except to destroy them under the supervision of the District Office, unless and until the Director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine withdraws the demand for destruction after an appeal pursuant to paragraph (c)(1)(ii) of this section.

Destruction? Thats horrible...

[octpusgirl8]

Goodness that's awfully heartless. Who writes these laws?

[grey goose]

One of the reasons the law is barely enforced.....what are they going to do with the seized turtles?

[octpusgirl8]

Destroy them humanely. Sounds a bit oxymoronic if you ask me.

[daredevilgirl013]

That's why I didn't give Michelangelo back. They caught a guy selling baby turtles (Michelangelo was the size of a quarter when I got her) and they put up on the news for everyone to take their turtles back. I was like ummm...ok..what are they going to do with all those little babies? There was over 100 in the tank. You can't tell me they're going to keep them and nuture them. So I kept her. I knew she'd be killed if I gave her back and I wasn't going to have that.

[DavidY]

Yea, moronic, that's for sure! That law was pushed through back in the early 70's I think because baby turtles were becoming a big hit in the pet store business. Everyone was buying them for their kids, along with the death bowls. It didn't take long before kids started coming down with salmonella and it soon became apparant that the cause were the little baby turtles. So a bunch of angry parents got together to push a law banning the sale of these "deadly creatures". They came up with the 4" or less rule because they thought the kids were putting them in their mouths, thus any turtle small enough to fit in a kids mouth was banned. Thank goodness the lawmakers were that stupid, otherwise they probably would have banned pet turtles completely.

The law is totaly archaic since it's been found that most lizards and turtles are potential carriers of salmonella and that the danger is simply avoided by making sure to wash your hands after handling your reptiles. The law should be repealed as it is completely ineffective, but it has served a purpose by keeping a lot of impulse buyers from falling in love with the cute babies and then killing them out of ignorance after they bring them home.

[ellman605]

I've gotten salmonella only once in the 10 years I've had reptiles, and that was 2 weeks ago. I know it was because i was stupid enough to ignore washing my hands one time after doing turtle stuff. Oh well.

I hate laws!

[DavidY]

ooh bummer! I've been fortunate enough to have never gotten it before. Especially after having kids, I've been much more meticulous about washing after handling the reptiles or cleaning their cages.

[octpusgirl8]

Oh wow, i am sooo not careful enough about washing my hands after turtle contact. I usually do, but not all the time by any stretch of the imagination. What is salmonella like anyway? I don't even know what the symptoms are. I think maybe i will be more carefull from now on...

[DavidY]

Salmonella is also often referred to as "food poisoning" since it usually comes from contaminated undercooked chicken and eggs. The symptoms are vomiting, cramps and diarrhea among other things. It is mostly dangerous in small children and the elderly. Kids are more likely to get it because they tend to put their fingers in their mouths and eat without washing their hands first.

It's a good idea to wash your hands with soap and water after you're done handling them or working in their tank (cleaning filters, etc). Cross contamination is another danger if you don't wash your hands. That happens if you pick up the salmonella bacteria on your hands from the turtles and then touch something else like an eating utensil or drinking cup and someone gets it from that.

This doesn't mean that every turtle has salmonella, but the danger is that there is no way of knowing if they do or not (without a lab test). They are known as asymptomatic carriers which means they can carry the disease but show no signs of having it themselves. So they look perfectly healthy and you think everything is alright until you get sick. So it's better not to risk it, especially if you have small children or elderly in your home since it can be fatal for them.