1.) Kids will be kids. You can teach them all the handwashing rules in the world, and if they have grown up around these lovely creatures, they will still 'forget' to wash hands, or do something (such as the aforementioned wearing snake while eating!) that makes washing the hands a moot point. LOL

2.) Yes, you can take precautions, such as handwashing, I think the slippers thing is a little more than is really neccessary, and if you go too far to the 'clean' side then yes - children will have a very lousy immune system and catch everything they come into contact with for the simple reason they have not had any prior exposure to it in order to build up that immunity in the first place.

3.) I really do think the cases of salmonella being contracted from reptiles is blown WAY out of proportion simply BECAUSE it's the whole 'reptiles = evil' bullpucky again. Yes, if you don't wash your hands, if you don't keep your reptiles' enclosures and areas and rooms sanitary and clean, you WILL increase the risk. But frankly, I really think the chances of contracting it from an in-house reptile is next to nil if basic cleanliness is applied.

4.) I have a 6 year old. She has grown up around our snakes (a 9.5ft african rock, a 4ft ball python, a 3 ft red corn, a small albino bullsnake and a hatchling burmese) and she has never gotten sick, she has handled the smaller ones (the ball, the hatchling burm - the bull is too darty-ish, and the rock is simply too big, she is not allowed in the room, period, when it is being handled.)

She's never gotten sick. Not from the reptiles. Colds, yes. Flu once, yes. Chickenpox, yes. Salmonella, never. She loves these critters, and it sure is amusing to see a 6 year old perfectly calm around large predatory reptiles, who then absolutely freaks out at the sight of a bug - ANY bug.

5.) If the reptiles are properly cared for (kept clean, cages and room kept clean, etc) then quite frankly, you're child will run more of a risk from picking up salmonella from a fast food burger joint than they will from the family's snake. I work in fast food - believe me, I know this one.

I'll halt here before I get off on a rant myself. LOL But basically, if you just keep common sense, basic general hygiene, you don't have anything to worry about from your reptiles. Don't go overboard on the cleanliness thing - children DO NEED to get sick here and there in their lives, that is how the body builds it's immune system! - just keep your basic hygiene, and in my opinion, you should be fine.

~ Seliah

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