What th....? This is disturbing

[peterescue]

This is not new. A while ago on another list; that is in fact a very good list contrary to what some uninformed people would have you believe; someone found various herps and arachnids sealed as paperwieghts. I hadnt seen the turtle before. US breeders export hundreds of thousands of baby turtles including painteds like this ti Asia. Some are for pets and some for this type of thing. I think you will find that unless it is classified as endangered no laws would have been broken. Its probably on a AQIS form as "Novelty turtle paperweight""no import duty" or "import duty not paid" and sold on to the $2 shops through auction.
Peter

 

[rodentrancher]

Hey I have 2 Whales teeth, collected in Albany, WA. bout 1930/40's I think. Hope I'm not gonna get in trouble bout them? Cheers Cheryl

 

[instar]

think its this one..........http://herpcenter.ipfw.edu/index.ht...reptiles/turtles/Hieroglyphic_River_Cooter/&2

 

[Hickson]

They said theyd follow it up. I dont know what that means

It usually means they're not sure what to do. It'll be passed around to different people - you might get someone calling you back to ask questions - and will probably end up in the too-hard basket. Finding it at the tip pretty-well ensures that will happen.

Certainly looks to me like one of the Trachemys/Pseudemys/Chrysemys complex, most likely Yellow-bellied Slider (Trachemys s. scripta) or the Red-Eared (T.s. elegans). Both are popular as hatchlings in SE Asia and China (you said you thought it might be of Asian origin).

Hix

 

[earthmother]

lol Greebs and Luke you are so funny i almost laughed - - - alot lol
I thought it looked more like a lizard in a pie crust.

the news so far is that AQIS say that its okay as long as the animal is killed, preserved, and encased in something like resin.

This was floating in WATER in a flimsy plastic container. that broke open easily.
MudPom had a look today and it looks like its going off. so I think it was not preserved. Maybe even not killed.

I've told everyone I should (Emailed Fowler, AQIS and Customs) and now it's in metho. I'll throw it away - - sometime
Bek is freaked about it, she won't look at it and if she wants something and asks where is it I tell her, "over there near the turtle" lol.
Thanx for the interesting comments, as always.
MM

 

[instar]

YUCK!

 

[Farkurnell]

MudPom had a look today and it looks like its going off.

MUDPOM!!!! TOO FUNNY !!!!

He'd certainly know about going off. :shock:

 

[dobermanmick]

Going by the photos it is definitely some sort of turtle

I tend to agree !

 

[earthmother]

lol Fark,

(Im never speaking your name aloud - lol) Hes a good Pom....he goes off like a frog in a sock!

and thank you for you expert help dober - this is why I come here.

It's a circus. And I like it.
You funny people.

MM

 

[earthmother]

think its this one.........

yuk. What a mingeing ugly turtle. It looks like a huge mistake of nature. Thank you for that Instar.
MM