Nature Center: Don't Buy Cute Little Turtles from Street Vendor

Kat Bunker, a naturalist at the San Angelo Nature Center warns that there is a street vendor making rounds in San Angelo selling cute little turtles. “People will buy them, get tired of them or find out they don't eat well, and then donate them to us,” she said.

The police say the vendor has a traveling pet shop permit and they cannot run him off, Bunker said.

“His turtles are too young to sell as they are under 2 inches. It is a federal regulation that turtles must be at least 4 inches to sell,” Bunker said.

The FDA also prohibits their sale, said Bunker.

“The regulation exists because these turtles can carry Salmonella and are too appealing for little kids to handle inappropriately, like put the cute little turtles in their mouth,” Bunker said.