Could harmful germs from tortoises and bearded dragons spread to each other?

Rocky219

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This is kind of a complicated question but do germs from tortoises and bearded dragons spread dangerously? They are housed separately but I still wonder if some stuff is dangerous. For example if I touch my tortoise and then touch my bearded dragons greens, which he then eats, is that dangerous because the germs from her could spread to my bearded dragon? Maybe I'm overthinking it but I thought I'd ask.
 

Tom

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This is kind of a complicated question but do germs from tortoises and bearded dragons spread dangerously? They are housed separately but I still wonder if some stuff is dangerous. For example if I touch my tortoise and then touch my bearded dragons greens, which he then eats, is that dangerous because the germs from her could spread to my bearded dragon? Maybe I'm overthinking it but I thought I'd ask.
To answer your question literally and in a practical sense: No. The answer is only "no" because of the last word in your question. "Dangerously".

Each of us spreads germs all around daily. Everything we touch is covered in "germs" and we read these germs around to everything else we touch. In normal daily circumstances this is not an issue, and cross contamination does not pose any problems. Having said that, there is no harm in being cautious and washing hands after handling each animal, or before handling any animal's food. I feed my dragons out of the same bucket that I feed my tortoises from. Every day I mix up buckets of food. I pull all the indoor tortoises out of their enclosures and place them into their soaking tubs. Then I clean and refill their waters, spot clean any leftover food or uneaten stems, and I finish by placing fresh food into their food bowls. I fill my beardie bowls at this same time. I just go around the whole room putting greens from the same bucket into each enclosure. This sort of routine should not cause any problem when dealing with normal healthy animals.
 

Rocky219

Active Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2020
Messages
160
Location (City and/or State)
Massachusetts
To answer your question literally and in a practical sense: No. The answer is only "no" because of the last word in your question. "Dangerously".

Each of us spreads germs all around daily. Everything we touch is covered in "germs" and we read these germs around to everything else we touch. In normal daily circumstances this is not an issue, and cross contamination does not pose any problems. Having said that, there is no harm in being cautious and washing hands after handling each animal, or before handling any animal's food. I feed my dragons out of the same bucket that I feed my tortoises from. Every day I mix up buckets of food. I pull all the indoor tortoises out of their enclosures and place them into their soaking tubs. Then I clean and refill their waters, spot clean any leftover food or uneaten stems, and I finish by placing fresh food into their food bowls. I fill my beardie bowls at this same time. I just go around the whole room putting greens from the same bucket into each enclosure. This sort of routine should not cause any problem when dealing with normal healthy animals.
Okay thank you
 
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