Are tortoises dangerous to babies?

[kitsmummy]

My friend has heard that tortoises can be dangerous for babies (I think in the germ or illness sense, not in that they might attack them) but I can't find any info on the internet. Can anyone else shed some light on this?

I think they are ok as long as they don't have a weapon or a background of tuition in the martial arts.

Sorry . Don't know.
But knife weilding ninja tortoise was just too hard to resist.

think that it's terrapins that are carriers of salmonella

I had a vision of a tortoise slowly chomping it's way up the sides of a crib...I've always found their teethless wrinkly mouths slightly sinister...

No idea on the OP, sorry

I think your friend may have heard that reptiles can harbour salmonella on the skin.

But as long as basic hygiene procedures are followed (wash your hands if you have handled totoise), just like with any other pets, I don't hink it's a huge risk.

They have been known to go straight for, and nibble, baby toes - usually within 3 or 4 days of being left in the same room.

And they are quite a substantial choking hazard too.

Sorry, don't know the real answer, just loved the thread title.

They're fine as long as the baby doesn't try to swallow them whole. Could be a bit of a choking hazard in that case

There are folk stories about tortoises being unlucky for children - perhaps this is where your friend's caution stems from. But they are just stories.

salmonella - as with any reptile.

As long as you wash their hands well after touching then they shouldn't be at any risk.

I didn't know that reptiles carried salmonella, but surely if so that's a bad thing? The baby won't wash his/her hands. In fact the baby will lick the tortoise.

lol at images of killer tortoises!

But seriously, the thing about salmonella is true. I recently bought a terrapin for 6yo nephew, and had to drum into him the hand washing thing.

I am not dangerous to babies!

Fio, you mean gums like razors

Best thread title since 'vegetable eating children' which made me lol.

I have had a tortoise for 30+ years and have never come to any harm, bar the odd butt and accidental nip.

Hand washing should apply to all animals not just reptiles.

Ah ha, salmonella, must remember to keep the tortoise out of the cot then

Yes Cats have mouths FULL of horrible germs of all sorts, and millions of babies survive in cat-owning houses.
(Dogs, by contrast have antiseptic saliva).

Aaah, just thought. Get dog to lick tortoise before baby does. Problem solved !!

tortoisetrust.org FAQ

That recommends against tortoises in a house with babies under 1 and to not let under 5s touch them.

It's up to you if a pet is worth the risk, but it's best to know what you are risking.

btw dogs and antiseptic saliva is oft repeated rubbish. They lick up shit and their own arseholes.

Dogs don't have antiseptic saliva - in fact their mouths harbour some particularly nasty bacteria.
You don't want to see the kind of stuff we'd find in dog bite wounds when I was a microbiologist...

Grey - it isn't rubbish. Yes I agree they are known to lick up such nasty stuff, but the germs don't live in their mouths. Whereas with cats they do ....

'germs don't live in their mouths'

um

yes they do

I think there is only a risk if the tortoise lies on the baby's face in their cot.

Do people usually keep tortoises roaming free around the house then?

clumsymum - the accepted order of nastyness for common bite injuries in A+E is human>cat>dog, but dogs still have nasty shit in their mouths.

As Ruth says.