Tortoises & Salmonella

Salmonella is a bacteria that can cause serious illnesses in humans and lead to death if not treated in time. Reptiles such as tortoises have a bad reputation for carrying and spreading salmonella, which is only partially deserved. While reptiles have the potential to carry salmonella, so do many other animals including cats and dogs. People who keep reptiles as pets are also much more likely to contract salmonella bacteria from improperly cooked food, especially chicken or eggs.

  1. Salmonella and Tortoises

    • Salmonella is a bacteria that is sometimes found in the digestive tract of reptiles, including tortoises. According to the Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians, infection is most likely to occur when a person touches a tortoise, the tortoise's feces or the tortoise's cage and then puts their hands near or in their mouths without washing them properly.

      Tortoises cannot be cured of salmonella, but they will not become ill if they do have the bacteria. Tortoises do however pose less danger with regards to carrying salmonella than other reptiles, such as turtles. Tortoises live on dry land, whereas pet turtles live in small tanks of water and swim in their own feces, increasing the risks of them having salmonella on their bodies instead of only in their digestive tract.

    How Tortoises Get Salmonella

    • Not all tortoises have salmonella, but they can contract it a variety of ways. Most often, an unclean living environment is a cause of salmonella, as well as introducing another salmonella-carrying reptile into the tortoise's living environment.
      Feeding carnivorous reptiles raw chicken can also result in the animal contracting salmonella.

    Preventing Salmonella

    • The only way to contract salmonella from a tortoise is to ingest the bacteria after touching a tortoise. This hand-to-mouth behavior makes children especially susceptible to salmonella poisoning, and according to the Tortuga Gazette this is precisely why turtles of a small size are prohibited for sale in pet shops, as children may put them in their mouths.

      The best way to prevent salmonella poisoning in any human is to be diligent in hand washing when handling a tortoise or when cleaning the tortoise's cage. Wash hands before and after, or use a hand sanitizer to kill any bacteria you may have come into contact with. Also, one should not eat, drink or smoke while handling a tortoise, nor prepare food in the same area where a tortoise may be present. Allowing reptiles to roam free around the house increases the risk of contracting salmonella, as they will come into contact with more surfaces around the home.

    Immune-Suppressed Persons

    • While salmonella can cause serious health issues in anyone, children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems are at a greater risk of having a more difficult time in fighting the bacterial infection. These people should be especially diligent in hand-washing and preventative measures when handling a tortoise.

    Warning

    • According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those with small children or who are expecting children should be extra cautious when having reptiles as pets, and children who own pet tortoises should always be supervised when handling them or cleaning their cages.