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Salmonella spp. occur abundantly in the feces of the turtles Testudo graeca and T. hermanni but rarely in other testudines. These organisms do not seem to produce any kind of infection in the turtles. One possible explanation for the infestation is the coprophagic habit of T. graeca and T. hermanni..

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SUMMARY: Four hitherto undescribed diphasic members of the Arizona group of bacteria were identified in reptilian faeces. These organisms appear to occur frequently in healthy Constrictor constrictor.Not many diphasic members of the Arizona group of bacteria have been recognized. This paper describes four new species found in the excreta of apparently healthy reptiles imported into England. METHODSAll the organisms were isolated on deoxycholate citrate agar or Wilson and Blair agar, either inoculated directly or after enrichment in selenite broth. The methods used for biochemical and serological examination were those employed by Edwards, West & Bruner (1947) in whose paper the type cultures mentioned are described. DESCRIPTIONS OF ORGANISMSThe organisms were motile rods with the usual appearances and cultural characters of enteric bacteria. All produced hydrogen sulphide, failed to form indole, were methyl red-positive and Voges-Proskauer-negative, utilized citrate and D-tartrate and did not hydrolyse urea. All fermented glucose, arabinose, xylose, rhamnose, maltose, trehalose, mannitol and sorbitol rapidly with the production of gas. Sucrose, adonitol, dulcitol, inositol and salicin were not fermented.Organism 3829/53. From a tortoise (Testudo graeca) imported from Casablanca, Morocco : Salmonella abortus-bovis was found in the same specimen. This strain liquefied gelatin in 13 days and fermented lactose within 24 hr. It was agglutinated to titre by Arizona 0 group 9 antiserum and in adsorption tests removed all agglutinins from this serum. Of the H antigens phase 1 was identical with phase 1 of Pc.