Though turtles are exotic pets to own, you need to really think twice before introducing them to your kids. Many people wrongly assume that small turtles are safe and harmless. But, they can cause bacterial infections, which could turn out to be quite harmful for kids.
You need to specially avoid buying turtles when your kids are less than five years old. This is because turtles carry harmful bacteria called salmonella that can adversely affect the health of your kids. Since small children do not really take care of their hygiene and it is practically difficult to teach them the importance of keeping themselves away from turtles, it is better you do not bring them into your home in the first place.
More importantly, since salmonella is naturally present in this species, you can really never assess whether your pet is infested by this bacteria as the turtles do not look sick in spite of the bacteria present in them.
In addition, growing a turtle at home is not really easy as they need extreme care. Otherwise, bad hygiene for turtles can have serious repercussions on the health of the people around them as they spread lot of diseases.
If your children are old enough and well-trained to follow hygiene rules strictly, then you should only opt for the docile turtle species that can grow without too much attention. For example, the species called red eared slider is the most preferred pet turtles as they are easy to maintain at home. You can also go in for the musk turtle which grows less than 6 inches in length and hence, it is quite easy to handle.
About Author:
Kum Martin is an online leading expert in animal care. He also offers top quality articles like: Problems of Beagle, Shih Tzu Puppies
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