When it comes to keeping lizards and snakes as pets, there's an important rule to prevent the spread of disease - no kissing.
Vet Brendan Carmel said reptiles were becoming increasingly popular pets in Australia, but keeping one could bring unexpected dangers, including the spread of disease.
He said cases of severe salmonellosis poisoning were increasing and could cause serious illness in humans, with those infected developing diarrhoea and abdominal cramps.
"Unfortunately, evidence from international studies shows that infants and young children are the most likely to become infected and people with immune deficiencies such as organ transplant recipients and those with diabetes are all in the high-risk group," Dr Carmel said.
"Typically animals tend to shed the bacteria during periods of stress by factors such as transportation, crowding, food deprivation, exposure to cold and a sudden change of feed.
"The key message that we need to get across is that reptiles are cute, but they can be contaminated and people need to take some fairly basic precautions to protect themselves."
As well as no kissing, Dr Carmel said those precautions included always washing hands after handling reptiles, disposing of all waste water and faecal matter in the toilet and and not allowing the pets to roam in the kitchen, dining room, bathroom or in sinks.
He said children under five should also avoid contact with reptiles.
The Australian Companion Animal Council said ownership of exotic species, such as lizards, skinks and snakes, was the fastest growing pet sector with spending growing by 18 per cent in the past five years.
Dr Carmel was in Adelaide this week to speak to the Australian Veterinary Association conference.
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