Yes, I hear you about the turtle feeding on turtles thing. I am definately a turtle person myself, but occasionally I am offered the opportunity to babies that didn't quite make it out of the shell during incubation, or specimens that died of causes such as failure to thrive etc., these are the turtles i've used as feeders, I guess I should have been a little more descriptive.(Not to mention, using a live wild caught turtle would be a risk anyway as for passing on worms and other internal parasites).
~ As far as shellfish are concerned, I think that there is definately a likely hood of passing contaminates from shellfish onto the turtles being fed, when the shellfish are being removed from contaminated areas (as with fish and amphibians used for food). I am fortunate to live in an area where the ocean water is rather clean and free moving, without the heavy boat traffic and slow moving inlets. I actually kept a common Snapping turtle for 19 years and in the turtles early years, she was fed primarily on soft shelled clams. As a kid, this was the easiest food source for me to aquire.
Many reptiles and amphibians are fortunate in the respect that they retain toxins that they consume, in their own tissues and are avoided the hazards that would normally be presented to say, mammals or birds. Box turtles and bullfrogs would be a couple of examples.
These retained toxins in turn make the amphibian or reptile that ingested them, toxic to would be predators. But it would definately be better to avoid the potential for any problems all together!
You brought up a good point ~ thanx, Leo
Skin & Scales
