Hi, I've been taking care of a RES for about nine years, but I've only recently found this site which REALLY helped me a lot on giving better care for my turtle (I've been using mere instinct before).
Just one question to ask if it's OK:
I recently found my turtle escaping its enclosure and wandering off into the bathroom...and hiding behind the toilet and whatsoever. While planning to get a bigger home, I'm also worried about the germs that may have accumulated on the turtle. I know I shouldn't use soap or any other disinfectant that would harm the turtle, but I don't think bathing it with water would get rid of possible bacteria (like e. coli). I've seen several articles about disinfecting the turtle's tank, but I don't think I've seen anything yet about the turtles themselves. So, if anybody would like to give some information they know of, I'll be grateful ^^