# Are tortoises safe to be around kids?



## ahawashin (Sep 3, 2014)

Are children safe from parasites and diseases around tortoises ?
I know that water turtles are not safe because they carry salmonella 
But what about tortoises do they carry same diseases or worst ??


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## Grandpa Turtle 144 (Sep 3, 2014)

Turtles , torts, birds , cats , dogs , and snakes are all the same WASH their hands before and after touching each little friends . Don't put any little thing in their mouth .


Sent from my iPhone using TortForum


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## G-stars (Sep 3, 2014)

Any animal can carry unwanted critters. We can also transfer them to our pets. Always a good idea to wash hands before and after handling any pet. You have to watch out for people too.


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## ZEROPILOT (Sep 4, 2014)

.....And make sure that fingers don't smell like "food". (Bite) Also, it's a bad idea in general for a small person, or any person to pick up a tortoise. They squirm and they're strong. In this case it's the children that are not safe for the tortoise.


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## naturalman91 (Sep 4, 2014)

i'm probably wrong on this but i remember reading somewhere any turtle/tortoise found to have salmonela is "humanely put down" 

i'm probably wrong but i do remember reading it somewhere i just cant recall where


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## naturalman91 (Sep 4, 2014)

ah here it is i found it 

The Department or any local health officer may order the immediate humane destruction of
any lot of turtles found contaminated with Salmonella, Arizona, or other organisms which may cause or
have caused disease in humans.

http://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/discond/Documents/TurtleSalmonellosisRegulation.pdf

part C


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## tortdad (Sep 4, 2014)

no....they eat kids!


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## tortdad (Sep 4, 2014)

Here's mine right before he gobbled up my son




0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)


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## tortdad (Sep 4, 2014)

Here he is yesterday eating another neighborhood child.


Notice the look of fear in the child's eyes while the others in the background await the same fate. 


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)


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## Yvonne G (Sep 4, 2014)

I have read that there's more salmonella on money, raw chicken and from people who do not wash their hands after using the toilet. Salmonella organisms have been found in the stools of sick and apparently* healthy people and animals*. Most domestic animals, including ducks, cattle, swine, dogs, cats, pet turtles and chicks have been found to carry and transmit salmonella. The bacteria also has been found in a variety of wild animals. Thorough hand washing after contact with animals is recommended to prevent salmonella transmission. Contaminated water is also a possible source of salmonella infection.


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## christinaland128 (Sep 4, 2014)

tortdad said:


> Here's mine right before he gobbled up my son
> View attachment 94588
> 
> 
> ...


Lmao Tortdad!


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## Yellow Turtle01 (Sep 4, 2014)

Is this a trick question???  Yes, but so do ALL animals, to some degree. Also, water turtles are perfectly safe to be around kids if their tank is CLEAN, WELL MAINTAINED, and the turtles themselves are healthy, clean, and you MUST ALWAYS WASH your hands after handling a reptile anyway! Torts DO carry salmonellae, but this rule goes for them too! ALWAYS was your hands! Tort and turtles and other reptiles are safe if you follow proper care and hygienic guidelines!


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## Yellow Turtle01 (Sep 4, 2014)

tortdad said:


> Here he is yesterday eating another neighborhood child.
> View attachment 94589
> 
> Notice the look of fear in the child's eyes while the others in the background await the same fate.
> ...


HAHAHA!! What did he go after next, the neighbors cat?


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## johnsonnboswell (Sep 4, 2014)

It's a potential problem. All kids pose a risk to animals. We take precautions.


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## Tom (Sep 4, 2014)

ahawashin said:


> Are children safe from parasites and diseases around tortoises ?
> I know that water turtles are not safe because they carry salmonella
> But what about tortoises do they carry same diseases or worst ??



1. Yes they are safe. This does not mean it is physically impossible for any human to catch a zoonotic disease from a tortoise. My child has been around dozens of tortoises since birth. As a toddler she helped me dig up nests and incubate eggs. She also crawled into night boxes, hand fed tortoises, petted them, and dug holes in their enclosures. My pediatrician explained to us that the reason my daughter has only been sick a few times in her seven years is because of "acquired immunity" from her lifestyle of playing with animals and dirt. Even when all the other kids at school share bugs and get sick, she seldom catches it.
2. Water turtles are perfectly safe. They are as safe or safer than any other animal. There was a study posted on this forum a couple of years ago that showed tortoises carry heavier loads and more types of salmonella than aquatic turtles.
3. Tortoises can carry and shed a multitude of diseases. Safe handling and sanitation procedures minimize any risk.


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## ShadowRancher (Sep 4, 2014)

I'd have to look up the citation but I remember reading that cats are the biggest pet animal carrier...but they also have toxoplasmosis which horrifies me (It can change human behavior)


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## smarch (Sep 5, 2014)

I remember reading a post similar to this a while ago where people blamed someones tortoise when they got salmonella from food, and it escalated to a comment that I remember made me laugh "does this mean i'm NOT supposed to lick my tortoises!?" If anyone knows what/who i'm talking about please give them credit since I don't remember!
I'd been around my cousins sliders since I was pretty young, we were always taught to wash our hands after and not put our hands in our mouth (we were older though so that wasn't a huge problem) and that we could pet their shells but we just knew not to pick them up, and that the front end could bite sometimes. But I know this is about torts not turtles. As long as you teach the kids well I think its safe for both animal and child, unless of course your tortoise is known to nibble fingers and toes, adults can handle that a lot better than a child! If we're talking small torts that's not a problem but if I Sulcata decides a childs fingers look yummy you have some problems. I think children getting into tortoises and any reptiles young is good for them and the animals aren't really effected. In fact if my cousin didn't have sliders since she was really young I probably wouldn't have franklin right now (which then ended up having her get a tortoise as well  we fuel each other lol)
My little 2 year old cousin loves franklin, we don't let him touch him yet but when franklin was outside the first time they met he walked over to the fence looked in pointed and said "turtle" this was at like 1.5 when it was still just very few words too! he quite enjoyed watching Franklin and franklin had no effect from being watched. I'm hoping he'll grow into a tortoise enthusiast too! Me and my cousin both are bringing tortoise love into younger generations of our family that'll grow up to them being around 

Sorry that went a little off topic!


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## ahawashin (Sep 5, 2014)

Ya that's what I want to do with my son too , he is 3yrs old and fearless he wasn't scared to grab my cousins python 
And when I take him to the reptile store he wants to play with the bearded dragons and tortoises
And snakes 
He even rode a camel last summer on our vacation in Petra 
Something I have a fear of I was scared of snakes till I was 16 I don't want my child to go through that 
I think a tortoise is the best thing for him plus he gets along good with our cat mufasa


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## smarch (Sep 10, 2014)

ahawashin said:


> Ya that's what I want to do with my son too , he is 3yrs old and fearless he wasn't scared to grab my cousins python
> And when I take him to the reptile store he wants to play with the bearded dragons and tortoises
> And snakes
> He even rode a camel last summer on our vacation in Petra
> ...


 As long as you teach him safe handling he'll be fine. But him being so young you'll have to realize all that care is on you and when your son grows up and possibly loses interest (sometimes it happens) then you'll have to make sure the tortoise is still provided for. It's still probably good to not that most tortoises wont really enjoy "playing" or being handled so that may be something ot think about. Bearded Dragons as I've seen are personable and like to sit on owners and interact, tortoises are more like cats and will sometimes like to put up with you and others will try to hide and sleep. Needless to say I sit on the couch with "nank on my chest and watch tv and he usually sleeps to my heartbeat and breathing... which is adorable, yet a young kid may not think its as nice. Bearded dragons also have a shorter lifespan which in some cases with younger people its good to know its not the 50-100+ year commitment. Not trying to sway you on dragons I swear, I don't even have one, I just wanted to get those few things out there.


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## ahawashin (Sep 10, 2014)

smarch said:


> As long as you teach him safe handling he'll be fine. But him being so young you'll have to realize all that care is on you and when your son grows up and possibly loses interest (sometimes it happens) then you'll have to make sure the tortoise is still provided for. It's still probably good to not that most tortoises wont really enjoy "playing" or being handled so that may be something ot think about. Bearded Dragons as I've seen are personable and like to sit on owners and interact, tortoises are more like cats and will sometimes like to put up with you and others will try to hide and sleep. Needless to say I sit on the couch with "nank on my chest and watch tv and he usually sleeps to my heartbeat and breathing... which is adorable, yet a young kid may not think its as nice. Bearded dragons also have a shorter lifespan which in some cases with younger people its good to know its not the 50-100+ year commitment. Not trying to sway you on dragons I swear, I don't even have one, I just wanted to get those few things out there.


I know your not trying to sway me away , i want a tortoise I've always wanted a tortoise 
I use to play with my grandfathers tortoises back-home in Jordan and I always cried when I left the farm cause I wanted to take them home with me 
My grandfather told me a story of how he caught his first tortoise in the desert when he was ten 
And that tortoise was still alive when I visited last year , My grand father passed in 2002 and the tortoise was still alive and kicking in the farm my cousins kids were not playing with her or coming near the barn where all the tortoises are cause they stayed in on the tv and the play station 
I would like my son to know about these guys believe me I tried to bring one back but the medical exam and flight were gonna cost me 600$ so I said I'm gonna get them here


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## smarch (Sep 11, 2014)

ahawashin said:


> I know your not trying to sway me away , i want a tortoise I've always wanted a tortoise
> I use to play with my grandfathers tortoises back-home in Jordan and I always cried when I left the farm cause I wanted to take them home with me
> My grandfather told me a story of how he caught his first tortoise in the desert when he was ten
> And that tortoise was still alive when I visited last year , My grand father passed in 2002 and the tortoise was still alive and kicking in the farm my cousins kids were not playing with her or coming near the barn where all the tortoises are cause they stayed in on the tv and the play station
> I would like my son to know about these guys believe me I tried to bring one back but the medical exam and flight were gonna cost me 600$ so I said I'm gonna get them here


 That's a great story, would have been pretty cool if you could have not only taken one back but taken back the one that was your grandfathers, though i'm assuming a family member has it safe and sound seeing as you saw it last visit. 
I was just making sure you knew such things, it seems like oh so many don't when they get tortoises for their kids... then again you are here so I guess you do know whats up  I cant wait to see a picture when you get it!


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## ahawashin (Sep 11, 2014)

Oh I will post pics as soon as I bring the babies home
I'm gonna call my uncle back home he is the primary care taker of the tortoise maybe he can take some pics and send them to me 
I should've took some but I was overwhelmed it was my first visit there in twenty years so I was climbing fig trees and picking olives


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## tryme (Sep 11, 2014)

So do ALL torts carry it or what?


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## ahawashin (Sep 11, 2014)

Hi 
My little cousin she took some pics oh the tortoise grandson and great
Grands lol also her cats


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## ahawashin (Sep 20, 2014)

Hi guys thank you so much for you support and tips 
I recently added a new member to our family an African spurred tortoise 
Koopa Troopa
I will keep you guys posted and post more pics
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Welcoming-home-our-newest-family-member.101709/


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