Can turtles get lungworm parasites?

[turtlegirl]

WARNING _Garden snails may carry fatal parasitic worms

Need a vet's definite answer as to whether turtles can get fatal lungworm parasites from garden slugs and snails.
My turtles love slugs from my organic compost bin and I would like to add slugs regularly to their diet as wild turtles eat slugs and snails
However I have just seen a warning on my vet's website telling dog owners to make sure that their dogs don't eat snails in the garden/parks as they may catchdangerous lung worm parasites. Slugs and snails in UK are now infected with a parasitic worm which is transferred to other animals when they eat them. The worms multiply in their new host and move to the lungs where they cause serious, possibly fatal damage. Worms from snails are currently threatening to wipe out UK hedghogs who eat snails when they can't find earthworms and die as a result.

Are these worm parasites only dangerous for warm blooded mammal hosts or can they infect and kill turtles and amphibians too?
Would like to be sure as I also have an axolotl who likes slugs too.

[wayne020668]

hi these parasites have been around for long time now in snails and slugs and while offering these animals everything they would and can get in the wild this is one thing we never offer turtles & terrapins here at turtle rescue... while test's seem to be underway on whether these parasites can survive from snails & slugs and indeed infect other animals we would air on the side of caution and refrain from offering these to your loved ones, hedgehogs seem to be in decline for lots of reason's and its one food source in many turtles will take and theres lots of safer ones out there that they thrive on... if you still want to or need to offer these slugs & snails to any animal then you couldn't go wrong with finding a safe supplier and even breeding your own..

[turtlegirl]

Thanks -I'll forget the slugs and stick to pellets, shrimp, dried fish and ham then. Better to be safe as you say

[neilb]

The biggest problem with slugs and snails (or indeed any garden animal!) is that they're not limited to a single garden, and if the guy down the road is using chemicals in their garden, then chances are all the bugs and grubs in the entire street will have traces of those chemicals to some extent.