Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm not sure quite the species but some people tell me it is a European species of paint turtles. They were once legal but I heard that they aren't anymore and haven't seen one for many years. They aren't illegal because they're endangered (not that I've heard of) but because the babies, which are commonly sold when they are for sell, can be seen as a potential hazard towards little kids. Why? Well there are cases where little kids put the turtles in their mouth and the turtles run straight into the kid's throat. Not sure about deaths, but I've heard of this. Anyone heard of this other than me?

Do you have a picture of it? In the US, there is an FDA regulation making it illegal to sell any turtle or tortoise less than 4" in length, unless for "bona fide scientific or educational purposes... in connection with a business", due to the risk of salmonella. Although any reptile can carry salmonella, baby red-eared sliders and a few other species are so cheap and common, that anyone could buy one on a whim. Back in the early 70s, they baby painteds and sliders were everywhere, and you might here the phrase "dime store turtle", because they were often sold at the "five and dime", such as Woolworths. Many people would buy them and keep them in little bowls on the coffee table, where children could easily play with the turtles and then catch salmonella if they did not wash their hands, or worse yet, if they put the turtle in their mouths. Those little bowls sold with the turtles are now considered "death bowls", because they provide no area for filtration, thermoregulation, or UVB lighting, and they are quickly outgrown, IF the turtle survives. Most of the babies died because they were purchased on a whim, and the owner did not know how to care for them properly. It still happens today, where baby turtles are sold in high-tourist areas, but it is still illegal.

There also used to be "painted" turtles for sale, where baby turtles had designs painted onto thier packs, much as you might see designs painted onto hermit crab shells in some pet stores. Those babies often died as well, either from the effects of the paint, or from the substandard care given to so many of those cheaply purchased animals.

Katrina

Man thats aweful huh. I see them sell the little babies in small little plastic carry-around containers. I see them placed in direct sunlight without no water. Man, this world makes me sick sometimes. Think of the torture they go through, poor little guys.