Nancy, in relation to the herps: Yes, ferrets can get salmonellosis,
according to Hillyer and Quesenberry's vet med book ("contagious",
"characerized by fever, bloody diarrhea, and lethargy") but they also
note that the incidence is LOW and "the infection may be associated with
the feeding of uncooked meat, poultry., and meat byproducts".  Since "may"
was used I suspect the actual cause of infection is either to some extent
unknown in the studied cases or that raw meat is one of the possible
causes; that it's not a common disease isn't a great surprise since the
ancestral history is one of a carnivore.
[Posted in FML issue 2434]