i live in califonia and i want to pets mart and asked if they sold small turtles , he said they were illega..?

Question

what exactly is the law about small turtles in California .. thank you

Answer 1

These are the turtles in California that it is illegal to take live:
Northern Pacific Pond Turtle
Southern Pacific Pond Turtle
Snapping Turtle
Desert Tortoise
Sonoran Mud Turtle
All Seaturtles
http://www.ky3.com/news/6626012.html.

California's prohibited turtles to be sold as pets are: Red eared slider turtles and snapping turtles. Box turtles are OK.
It's the FDA that bans any turtles with 4" shells or less.

ALL species of turtles are ONLY banned in Tennessee and New Jersey.
The petshop I go to has green turtles for sale and also box turtles.

NOTE: I went to that petshop today (they have 2) and they have BUNCHES of little green turtles......but they also have a sign on them that says "for educational purposes only". They told me they can sell them to a little kid if he says he needs one for a science project, or if a person tells them they are a teacher; etc.

Answer 2

I live in MD and work at a pet store.. baby turtles are illegal here too. I think its because- yes - reptiles in general can carry semoinela (prbly spelled that wrong) and people think just because its a small turtle they will keep them in small plastic bowls or tiny enclosures without filters any of the proper lights or any of the things to properly set up a turtle tank..and in those small unclean spaces semoinela goes crazy then people handle them or let kids play with them next thing you know the kid puts his hand in his mouth , ears, nose whatever and then they get sick. also at my work i hear people come in and tell us that they had a cute little turtle for years and he must have been a mini turtle cause it stayed so small.... Well they stayed so small because it didnt have the proper UV lights or heat lights... they NEED to be set up properly no matter how old or young a turtle (or any animal someone may want as a pet) is.

Answer 3

OK, lets be ABSOLUTELY CLEAR about a couple things:

1. The federal government has a regulation (not a law) that forbids the sale (importation, commercial collection, etc.) of turtles under 4" long except in a few circumstances. The regulation has little enforcement other than confiscating small animals and citing/fining the company. The purpose of the reg is to protect people from Salmonella (and to discourage the decimation of bulk collecting). The reg is printed here: http://www.tortoise.org/general/4inch.html

2. Many states have written a version of the federal regulation as a law- but not all of them (although I believe California is one of them).

Most states have also enacted laws about their own native turtles (often as a fishing law, game law, etc.) This last group usually does one of the following- requires permits, forbids collecting period, or allows limited collecting of some species.

3. Most cities have some form of pet laws or ordinances. These laws also often forbid under-sized turtles, and some cities have acted on the CDC suggestions and forbidden all turtles because of Salmonella risk (which is actually pretty absurd. Deviled and cold hard-boiled eggs are at a MUCH higher risk and affect more people, and are not outlawed!)

Just FYI- MOST pet shops I have dealt with have only a shaky understanding of the local laws.

FYI #2- the 'Under 4" law' has an exception that reads: "The provisions of this section are not applicable to the sale, holding for sale, and distribution of live turtles and viable turtle eggs for bona fide scientific, educational, or exhibitional purposes, other than use as pets. "

FYI #3- some stores ask you to sign a waiver that says that your small turtle is being purchased for a valid display or educational purpose, but they are making you purjure yourself because they conveniently omit the other part of that regulation ('other than use as pets'). Some don't know better, some don't care, some know this is a scam!

FYI #4- Personally, any store that breaks this policy is probably doing other stuff wrong or bad for the animals- be careful!

Answer 4

Owning a turtle with a shell-length under four inches is illegal as a federal law.

This means it is illegal in all states and jurisdictions in the United States.

This is because *many, many* children have died as a result of salmonella infections contracted from baby turtles. Salmonella is not a joke, I have contracted it from wild turtles and it makes you VERY sick. (Think along the lines of E. coli.) It is definately NOT something you should take a chance with, especially if you are under the age of 16, or have an immunodeficiency disorder, or are elderly. IT CAN KILL YOU. The federal laws were enacted to save lives.

Answer 5

Madkins is 100% correct.

And for those of you who say they know pet shops that sell turtles under the legal size, you may want to advise them of the legal penalties of doing so. They have the choice of either :humanely destroying" the turtles, or:

(2) Any person who violates any provision of this section, including but not limited to any person who sells, offers for sale, or offers for any other type of commercial or public distribution viable turtle eggs or live turtles with a carapace length of less than 4 inches, or who refuses to comply with a valid final demand for destruction of turtles or turtle eggs, or who fails to comply with the requirement in such a demand that the manner of destruction be humane, shall be subject to a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment for not more than 1 year, or both, for each violation, in accordance with section 368 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 271).

Answer 6

Pet stores should know the law as it pertains to State Laws about critters. Turtles that can survive in the wild are banned in many states as well as turtles which can carry or spread disease.

Answer 7

Hello..yep some places have outlawed water turtles due to the possibility if the salmonella poisionings they can carry...am not sure about what kinds are illegal, I just remember them little green but brightly patterned ones many kids used to get, till kids started getting sick cuz they failed to wash their hands often enough..tho there are some legal turtles, just not sure what all there is & IF you want the best turtle & their care..go to the site I'll post for you here, they deal ONLY in legal & captive bred reptiles, are experts for sure, ti's the store / site we use personally ...Take Care :)

Answer 8

If you need a pet, use craigslist, since the sellers will be selling in your area and transporting the pet will be less chaotic. Its a little hard to find the pet section though, so I'll let you know. After you click on your state and city, look under the category stated community, and pets should be right there.

Answer 9

Its true what the other posters said but i had a turtle for about a year and nothing happened to me- I just made sure i washed my hands everytime i handled her...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is likely that more than 90% of reptiles (snakes, lizards, turtles, and crocodilians) are asymptomatic carriers of Salmonella bacteria. Reptile and amphibian contacts are estimated to account for 74,000 (6%) of all Salmonella infections reported annually in the United States

Interesting article: http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/wildlife_news/baby_turtles_and_children_a_dangerous_combination.html

Answer 10

They are all wrong, well to an extent. All turtles anywhere under 4 inches have been made illegal to SELL because small kids would fit them into their mouths and got sick. It is illegal for a pet store to sell one but not as a trade or breeding thing. You can own one if somebody sells it to you, they get in trouble not you. Illegal for PET STORES to SELL but not for you to buy. I got all but one of mine when they were only a little over an inch long. (from a pet store I might add) and they all did fine and I didn't die. (most animals can carry the same diseases but sense this turtle thing has happened so many times by babies thinking that they taste good its illegal for the little guys) Hope it helps, buying one online is fine too! Good Luck! Here is a site that might further answer your questions http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/wildlife_news/baby_turtles_and_children_a_dangerous_combination.html