Tiny turtles: Take 'em off your Christmas list!

Tiny turtles: So cute, so cheap, so ...  dangerous and illegal?

Vigilant readers of To Live and Buy in L.A. have brought to our attention that selling the tiny turtles we mentioned in our Chinatown post is illegal. Given the ubiquity of the cute creatures in Chinatown, we checked in with L.A. Animal Services for the details. Here's the lowdown:

Federal law forbids the sale of turtles with shells (or carapaces) less than 4 inches long. The main concern is that turtles can carry salmonella bacteria, which can make humans very ill. Health officials are particularly concerned about children putting their hands in their mouths after handling the turtles and contracting salmonellosis, which can cause vomiting, diarrhea, fever and, in rare cases, death. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have more details here.

L.A. Animal Services advises anyone who sees small turtles for sale to call Animal Control at (888) 452-7381, or the SPCA at (323) 730-5300. And if you have a tortoise you no longer want, phone American Tortoise Rescue at (800) 938-3553.

If you bought a turtle and don't want to give it up, L.A. Animal Services offers these tips to stay healthy: minimize handling of the animal, and wear latex gloves when touching it. Don't clean the turtle's habitat in your kitchen or bathroom sink where the bacteria may be transmitted to your food, toothbrush or dishes. Wash your hands immediately after touching any reptile or amphibian.

-- Julie Makinen

Photo: Turtles on sale in Chinatown.

Comments

[Susan]

Thanks for correcting the misinformation about these little guys. The are so disposable - most die within the first month because people do not know how to care for them and they have a life span of 25 years or more! Thanks for mentioning American Tortoise Rescue. We prefer to be reached by email at info@tortoise.com if you have questions. I'd also like to remind teachers that turtles make very dangerous pets for the classroom. Thanks again for updating this important information.

[Roshan Reporter MD]

Hello,
I wanted to add that Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has been active on this issue. We are making efforts to educate the public and the vendors about the risks of salmonellosis from the small turtles and why we have laws against selling them. The tiny turtles are often not properly cared for as mentioned by Susan of American Toroise Rescue. The animals suffer and are more likely to spread Salmonella to humans when they are stressed.

For more information please visit the following websites:
http://www.ph.lacounty.gov/acd/Diseases/Reptiles.htm

http://www.lapublichealth.org/vet/Reptiles%20and%20Salmonella.htm