Turtles might be cute to look at, but they also can harbor
deadly bacteria, including salmonella. For that reason, the
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will not issue permits for
pet stores to sell turtles or for people to own turtles. That
means it's illegal to keep them as pets in the state -
regardless of whether people find them in their front yard or
bring them back as souvenirs from vacation. Walter Cook, captive
wildlife coordinator for the TWRA, says: "It's common sense."
"It's a public health concern and we have to be responsible," he
says. "Being able to pull the skin and legs back into a shell
creates a moist environment that aids bacteria growth. And you
can't remove animals from the wild alive because they have a
purpose and provide a necessary component to the ecosystem. We
don't know what the population of these animals is or how many
could be removed before jeopardizing the population." For people
who already keep turtles as pets, Cook says the association
isn't interested in prosecuting an