Biological and behavioural considerations Signiicant differences exist between domesticated companion animal species such as dogs and cats and exotic non-domesticated pet species, which include all reptiles. Biologically, dogs and cats, along with other commonly domesticated animals including cattle and horses, possess essentially genetically 'pre-adapted' and 'soft-wired' traits allowing them to coexist ('lifeshare') with other species and the captive context. By contrast, reptiles possess few pre-adaptive features and are hard-wired with innate biological, behavioural and psychological needs that preset them to life in nature. An inescapable factor that dramatically and negatively impacts on the biological suitability of reptiles to captivity is that, unlike dogs and cats, reptiles will almost universally be 'life-restricted' in small, arbitrarily and poorly conceived vivariums maintained by non-professionals. These major biological considerations and management deiciencies imbue the veterinary surgeon with onerous duties to look for overt and emerging, as well as occult, health (physical, behavioural, psychological and husbandry) issues associated with reptiles that are presented to them, irrespective of the reason for consultation.

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Exposure to sea turtles may be increasing with expanding tourism, although reports of problems arising from interaction with free-living animals appear of negligible human health and safety concern. Exposure both to wild-caught and captive-housed sea turtles, including consumption of turtle products, raises several health concerns for the public, including: microbiological (bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi), macrobiological (macroparasites), and organic and inorganic toxic contaminants (biotoxins, organochlorines and heavy metals). We conducted a review of sea turtle associated human disease and its causative agents as well as a case study of the commercial sea turtle facility known as the Cayman Turtle Farm (which receives approximately 240,000 visitors annually) including the use of water sampling and laboratory microbial analysis which identified Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aeromonas spp., Vibrio spp. and Salmonella spp. Our assessment is that pathogens and toxic contaminants may be loosely categorized to represent the following levels of potential risk: viruses and fungi = very low; protozoan parasites = very low to low; metazoan parasites, bacteria and environmental toxic contaminants = low or moderate to high; and biotoxin contaminant = moderate to very high. Farmed turtles and their consumable products may constitute a significant reservoir of potential human pathogen and toxin contamination. Greater awareness among health-care professionals regarding both potential pathogens and toxic contaminants from sea turtles, as well as key signs and symptoms of sea turtle-related human disease, is important for the prevention and control of salient disease.