Turtles do not make good pets.  The best people to attest to it would be Julie and William Godwin, the parents of three-week-old Shanna Godwin, who was killed in Feb. 2007 by Salmonella Pomona from a pet turtle in their home.

To combat the public health impact of turtle-associated salmonellosis, in 1975 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned commercial distribution of turtles less than 4 inches in length.
It has been estimated that the FDA ban prevents some 100,000 cases of salmonellosis among children each year.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report on cases of turtle-associated salmonellosis in humans during 2006-2007, and the report concludes that the ban "likely remains the most effective public health action to prevent turtle-associated salmonellosis."

This week Strictly Reptile Inc. in Southern Florida was convicted for violating the ban on the sale of turtles with a shell length of less than 4 inches.

At least 103 cases of turtle-associated salmonellosis have been reported since May 2007, and many of those infected were children under the age of 10, the CDC said.  This makes it quite evident that turtles are still problem pets in people’s homes.