Petville

Salmonella from pet turtles sickens 103

Contact with small pet turtles was to blame for 103 Salmonella infections that occurred in 33 states between May and December 2007, according to federal health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta.

Salmonella infections can be severe, leading to hospitalization and, in some cases, death, the CDC notes in the current issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Turtles and other reptiles are well-known reservoirs for Salmonella and while the sale and distribution of small turtles — measuring less than 4 inches — was officially outlawed in the U.S. in 1975, cases of turtle-associated Salmonella infection continue to occur. "Small turtles remain available to the public from various sources, including pet shops, flea markets, street vendors, and Internet web sites," the CDC notes.

It's Turtle Time

Let me introduce my new pet in this almost life-size photo. Pictured is Snapper, the snapping turtle. What a clever name. I voted for Ted, short for turtle head. My other half argued to name him Snapper and I choose my battles wisely. Snapper it is.

Snapper landed on our neighbor's patio, about 100 feet from a brook. He was baking in the sun, drying out his shell that is the size of a half dollar. He is darn cute. We decided to keep him, give him an awful name, and plan his safe return to the wild. That's the hard part. Granted his small frame would have most likely washed away violently down a shallow NJ brook and not survived the winter, but now that I'm attached to this cute little thing, it's going to be tough letting him (or her) go one day. I took him in knowing nothing about turtles so I turned to my favorite resource, Google.