General Care Discussion :: Turtle And Baby

[MrsWarren]

I read you should not have turtles or any reptiles when you have baby or young toddler, if the kids around 5 years old then you can have one, they know proper hand washing. They said baby and toddler can died from turtle. I am new at this owning turtle, I alway wash my hand after handling turtle, cleaning it tank etc. I never let her touch it etc. Any family who have kids wait until they are 5 years old, or am I am the only one who have turtle while my baby is only 9 months old? If you have babies or toddler and a pet turtle what do you do to keep it safe and prevent salmonella ?

[SINI5T3R]

I have friends that have 10 foot snakes and have 6 month old babies. You have no reason to fear having a reptile large or small if you are a responsible SAFE Reptile Keeper. The reason they say do not let turtles touch babies is because turtles under 4 inches can carry salmonella which I believe can be fatal to babies. after 4 inches I think that proves that they do not have it because it usually kills the turtle iv read. I am not a expert on all that tho so you may want to read up on it. All in all, I believe its safe to keep reptiles such as snakes, lizards, turtles, and all of the above as long as your responsible and keep them out of reach of the child. its like having a poisonous cleaning product...

[steve]

Sounds like you're doing all the right things. Kids who usually get salmonella get it be putting turtles in their mouths. Keeping a clean tank and using basic hygiene goes a long way.

Salmonella is very serious though other pets, eggs or raw meat can be the cause. http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/general/diagnosis.html