Do I need to get vaccinated if I'm bitten by a turtle?

Nowadays, many people like to keep pets. We don’t think it’s strange to keep cats and dogs, because these animals have been friends of human beings since ancient times. However, keeping rabbits and turtles is relatively rare. Some people keep turtles because they think they are very easy to care for, and since turtles have a hibernation period, they hardly need to take care of them in the winter. Turtles can bite people, so do you need to get vaccinated if you are bitten by a turtle?

From a virological point of view, there is no need to get rabies vaccine if you are bitten by a turtle. If you are bitten by a warm-blooded animal, such as a dog, cat, bat, fox, etc., you need to get a rabies vaccine. However, if you are bitten by cold-blooded animals such as turtles, snakes, and soft-shelled turtles, you do not need to get rabies vaccine. Rabies vaccination is generally not necessary after being pecked by domestic animals such as chickens, ducks and geese. The exception is when a snake bite requires special treatment. Of course, if the person bitten is a child, due to his young age and weak resistance, in order to avoid infection by other bacteria, it is best to go to the hospital for wound disinfection and infection prevention treatment.

On the other hand, if the wound is deep and bleeding after being bitten by a turtle, you should get a tetanus vaccine. Tetanus is a specific infection in which Clostridium difficile invades the human body through skin or mucous membrane wounds, grows and multiplies in an oxygen-deficient environment, produces toxins, and causes paroxysmal muscle spasms. The incubation period of tetanus is usually 7 to 8 days, but can be as short as 24 hours or as long as several months or years. The shorter the incubation period, the worse the prognosis. If the wound from a turtle bite does not heal for several days, you should be careful. If the wound is deep, it is best to get a tetanus vaccine.

In addition, there are actually many kinds of turtles, and not all turtles will bite people violently. So what are the turtles that will bite people?

1. Alligator snapping turtle

The alligator snapping turtle looks very similar to a crocodile, combining the two in one, hence the name alligator snapping turtle. Its head is relatively thick and cannot be completely retracted into the shell. Its neck is short and thick. The alligator turtle has brown fleshy spines, small eyes, small upper and lower jaws, a pointed snout, a pointed and long tail, ridges on both sides, and fleshy spines on the ridges. There is a scaly ridge on the front two-thirds of the back of the tail, and a serrated mouth. The carapace is very thin, and the epidermis is mainly brown, occasionally brown-yellow. There are three fuzzy ridges on the back and radial markings. The posterior edge is serrated, the abdomen is white, and there are occasionally small black spots. It is black when young, with thick limbs, well-developed muscles, sharp and powerful claws, and is good at crawling.

2. Brazilian Squirrel

The red-eared slider has a broad head and a blunt snout. There are yellow and green vertical stripes on the head and neck, and a pair of red stripes behind the eyes, which are its ears. This is where its name comes from. Its carapace is flat, emerald green or apple-colored, with a prominent ridge in the middle of the back. The scutes have alternating yellow and green annular stripes. The abdomen is light yellow with irregular black circular, oval and rod-shaped spots that are bilaterally symmetrical. The limbs are light green with gray-brown vertical stripes, and there are webs between the fingers and toes.

Therefore, if you feel that you cannot control those ferocious turtles, try to choose some small and docile ones when raising them.