Karen, I read somewhere there are kids who will put anything into their mouths, including small turtles. Small turtles have a double whammy in that they can cause choking and salmonella poisoning.
Can you believe that? All I can say is keep anything small away from your child!
The good old FDA at work for you.
They will allow Ecoli Spinach, (among many other things) to kill you but will hunt down and prosecute the hobbiest that wants to sell a clutch of turtles. So the hobbiest with no outlet for his pet RES's turns them loose in the local pond disrupting the local ecosystem, displacing and outcompeting our native turtles. But Johnny and Janie are safe from the evil, diseased baby turtle.
How about parental supervision or perhaps not buying small turtles for children. How about the FDA pulling their heads out of their ....Nah..that won't happen..
Here's a copy of their "policy".
The sale or commercial distribution of viable turtle eggs and small turtles (carapace length less than 4 inches) for use as pets is banned under 21 CFR 1240.62. The ban is based on the Public Health Service Act (section 361, 58 Stat. 703) and therefore applies to both intrastate and interstate sale and distribution. Exceptions to the ban under 21 CFR 1240.62 permit sales of turtles and turtle eggs for use in bona fide scientific, educational, or exhibitional purposes other than as pets and of marine (ocean) turtles. Other exceptions to the ban are the sale of turtles and turtle eggs not in connection with a business (e.g., limited sales between turtle fanciers have been permitted) or that are intended only for export. The ban applies to small turtles (under 4 inch carapace length) because these are most likely to be held for sale as children's pets, and the purpose of the ban is to protect children from turtle-born salmonellosis.
Kay
