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Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Is it safe to hold a small yellow bellied slider?

I bought a yellow bellied slider who is 2 inches long and looks as healthy as can be. I am still wondering if it has a disease. I keep on reading that these turtles are alway sick. Please Reply.

Is it safe to hold a small yellow bellied slider?
yes, it is safe to hold him...just don't try to eat him
Reply:Safe for whom. Wash your hands afterward and you will be safe. However, I find that over-handling shortens the life of reptiles dramatically.
Reply:What you're thinking of is Salmonella bacteria, which virtually all turtles carry. It doesn't mean the turtles are sick, but they can pass the bacteria on to people who hold them, and those people can then get sick from it. It can be very serious, too.





That doesn't mean you can't ever hold your turtle. What it does mean is that you should never let the turtle near your face or touch your face while you're handling him. You also need to wash your hands very very thoroughly immediately afterwards, with hot water and soap. Every time, no exceptions.





The odds of getting an infection if you follow these rules are very slim but, because Salmonella is very dangerous to humans, you don't want to take chances. By the way, this is exactly the same way you should treat uncooked chicken, which ALSO almost always has Salmonella bacteria on it.



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