Is this dangerous?

[PassionFruitReptiles]

My husband and i will be attending a reptile expo next month, knowing me i will be like a kid in a candy store and want to hold quite a few of the interesting snakes and lizards there. My husband asked me a question that i quite honestly don't know the answer to, are there any risks or dangers to getting bit by a (nonvenomous) snake or scratched/bit by a lizard while pregnant? I did google it and the only information i found was on venomous snakes which isn't helpful.

[tbowman]

I'd imagine none more than if you weren't pregnant.

[BCS]

No, you will be fine. It would be like you getting scratched by a cat while pregnant. It is no more dangerous then if you weren't.

[Bluebonnet Herp]

So long as you wash the wound (if any) to prevent any infections, I don't believe so. The most an injury could do is just hurt real bad and possibly require stitches but that's the worst case scenario from the largest reptiles, and they still won't kill you anyway. If you're just fiddling around with boas, ball pythons, bearded dragons, etc you should certainly be fine. The reptile keeping community has made a point in stating over and over again that these animals are not dangerous, after all. Take some hand sanitizer with you, and just be wary if you ever decide to hold a large, aggressive monitor lizard! (They won't kill you, but they can hurt!)

[rubberduck]

But what with something that could be passed on from the bite? I mean you're not the only one that is coming into contact with these animals.

maybe i'm just ocd but i always thought that human viruses/bacteria could eventually be passed through reptile bites in a short time-frame...

No scientific base there/guys you're welcome to prove me wrong

[PassionFruitReptiles]

I am not worried about pain in the slightest- i used to own Burms, African Rocks, Retics, and larger species of monitors, including rescues.
I wouldn't use the cat scratch analogy though, cats can transfer a bacteria that is deadly to a fetus... I was just wondering if there is anything to be worried about in that aspect in the reptile world for pregnant women. Thanks!

[Daigga]

Generally speaking the vendors in attendance won't allow you to hold or handle animals they know are prone to biting unless you are very serious about buying it despite the temperament. Even vendors I've seen with good sized black throat monitors would prefer to hold it themselves while you inspect it even if they know it to be fairly docile. Species that are more naturally flighty/bitey usually aren't held by buyers at all and are inspected through a deli cup. No one wants their babies rampaging through an expo, right?

[PassionFruitReptiles]

That wasn't my question and i've held a number of reptiles at expos, a lot of vendors are eager to show off their specimens and very few have issues with people handling their stock, especially when you know the vendors or have some good conversations. Thank you anyway.

[Bluebonnet Herp]

I am not worried about pain in the slightest- i used to own Burms, African Rocks, Retics, and larger species of monitors, including rescues.
I wouldn't use the cat scratch analogy though, cats can transfer a bacteria that is deadly to a fetus... I was just wondering if there is anything to be worried about in that aspect in the reptile world for pregnant women. Thanks!

Salmonella is the only known zoonotic disease transferable through reptiles. (and even that is uncommon) Just follow basic first aid and wash off any cuts or bites should they occur.

[JoshSloane]

Nope, no issue at all. I am a toxicologist, and there aren't any teratogenic effects from interacting with snakes known in the medical community. Even a bite from a large snake would not induce any pathology. Simply wash your hands after handling any snakes, and before eating. There aren't any zoonotic organisms known to be transferred from snakes to people, however you do want to make sure that if you are in contact with any feces from a reptile to absolutely wash the exposed skin. Even then your risk would be a bacterial infection, however very unlikely, as you would have to ingest the contaminated feces. Which hopefully you wouldn't come close to doing.