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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- They're tiny, cute, and cheap. Roadside turtle stands have popped up all over Colorado Springs this summer.

And while they appear to be innocent enough, the tiny turtles are not only illegal, they are also potentially dangerous.

The El Paso County Health Department said as many as 90 percent of reptiles and amphibians carry salmonella, including turtles.

In 1975 the Food and Drug Administration made it illegal to sell any turtles smaller than four inches across. However, many of the roadside turtles are much smaller than that and being sold to unsuspecting shoppers.

Smaller than the palm of your hand, and at $10 to $15, the baby Red Ear Sliders seem hard to resist.

"They're one of the cutest things on the planet. A baby turtle is absolutely adorable but not knowing how to take care of them properly there is a lot of issues," Chad Brinkley, store manager of Scales ‘N Tails said.

Issues like Salmonella.

“It's just something that they naturally live with. By looking at the animal you can't tell whether or not it has salmonella,” Rachel Jervis, Communicable Disease Epidemiologist said.

And what isn’t visible on these turtles could be harmful.

"Salmonella is an infection that usually causes primarily diarrhea. But also occasionally vomiting, fever, headaches, body aches, and it can be a severe illness," Jervis said.  

The tiny turtles can be especially harmful to children, which is exactly who is targeted  by the roadside stands.

"The concern is that the smaller ones are more likely to be purchased for children, more likely to be handled by children, and can fit in children's mouths," Jervis said.

Despite the ban on the sale of turtles smaller than four inches, that hasn't stopped them from showing up on the side of the road.

The law is a federal law, and Sgt. Steve Noblitt with the Colorado Springs Police Department said federal authorities would have to be the ones to enforce it.

Meanwhile, Brinkley has been bombarded with baby turtles. He has been taking them in after people realize they aren’t as low-maintenance as they seem.

"You really gotta know what you're getting into before you spur of the moment buy these things. To get at turtle set up, even as a hatchling, it's gonna be $200 to $300 at a minimum,” Brinkley said.

In the last month he has already taken in more than 50 baby turtles.

He said he will care for them at home until they are big enough to be legally sold.

“You're not supposed to sell them under four inches and that's mostly for safety and health aspects. I don't want people getting a bad name with reptiles. Reptiles make a great amazing pet if you know what you're doing and you're doing it properly," Brinkley said.