Time runs out for turtle on the run

[herptrader]

Published: http://www.theage.com.au/national/time-runs-out-for-turtle-on-the-run-20081223-73yn.html?page=-1
Source: The Age (on line)

It's about the size of a dinner plate and sounds quite fetching, with yellow markings on its face and red stripes behind each eye.
But don't let its looks fool you.
The exotic Red-eared Slider Turtle - caught this week after five years on the run in Victorian bushland - is an environmental menace that poses an extreme threat to native animals and their habitats.
Believed to have been illegally released into the Blackburn Lake, in Melbourne's eastern suburbs, the fully grown adult turtle eluded authorities and an expert trapper from Queensland during its time at large.
It was finally caught by a Blackburn woman who saw it crossing a road near the lake on the weekend.
Recognising the turtle as an impostor, the woman placed it in a paddling pool in her backyard before handing it over to the Department of Sustainability and Environment.
DSE senior investigator Keith Larner said today the turtle would be euthanased to ensure it posed no further threat to biodiversity.
Red-eared Slider Turtles lay up to 70 eggs each year and the species is in the World Conservation Union's top 100 `world's worst invaders' list.
"They breed prolifically and they prey aggressively on native frogs and fish," Mr Larner said.
"In doing so, they reduce the food available to our native animals.
"These turtles have no natural predators here in Australia. They are popular as pets in the United States but here they can only be described as menaces."
Mr Larner said Queensland authorities had spent millions of dollars trying to eradicate the Red-eared Slider Turtle, which is a class-one pest "right up there with crazy ants".
"We only need to look at Queensland to discover the price we will pay if the species becomes established in the wild," he said.
It is believed there is another Red-eared Slider Turtle in Blackburn Lake, and one or more in Doncaster's Ruffy Lake.
While it is illegal to set traps to catch the pests, Mr Larner urged members of the public to report sightings of the turtles to DSE on 136 186.
People who keep, trade or breed the Red-eared Slider face fines of up to $110,000 or jail terms of five years under Commonwealth law.
More than 30 Red-eared Slider Turtles have been captured or handed in over the past six years.
Authorities are yet to establish if the latest discovery is a male or female.
Mr Larner said it was the largest Red-eared Slider Turtle seen so far in Victoria.
Authorities had been aware of its presence in Blackburn Lake for many years but the landscape made it difficult to lay traps.
"Where this animal lives it was difficult to trap,'' he said.
"I have seen it just floating in the water with just its nose sticking out.''

 

[horsesrule]

They should have sent it to Melbourne Zoo or something.

Nice animal shame it had to die for no real reason as its now caught and no longer a threat to the environment.

 

[Fuscus]

Nice animal shame it had to die for no real reason...

It is a pity, but the scary thing is that it lived there for five years. Hope it didn't breed

 

[Reptile_Boy]

It is a pity, but the scary thing is that it lived there for five years. Hope it didn't breed

who knows could have cross bred with the natives

 

[JasonL]

I smell a media beat up! Those things are happily breeding in many Sydney waterways and I can only presume they are also elsewhere.

 

[Reptilian66]

l know of the person who use to own this beautiful looking Red-Eared Slider, and which Pet Shop here in Melbourne metro they purchase it from way back in 1992, The person use to own 3 Red-Eared Sliders, that he/she got as hatchlings way back then, but one of them died in 1999, for some health reason.

The sex of the 3 Red-Eared Sliders were all females, which was good so he/she could not get them to breed, l was asked if l knew of anyone who had them, so they could get hold of a male for breeding, and l said know l don't know of anyone else who keeps these exotic Turtles that may have a male.

l know they are beautiful looking and would be good to have as a pet, but we don't want anymore exotic pests taking over our land from native Reptile's, that have every right to live and breed here in Australia.

So if l ever see or hear of anyone keeping exotic Reptile's without the right licence, l will be straight onto the phone, to the Wildlife Authority's to let them know what they have and how many their got, and where they are located, or if l see them in the wild roaming around in the bush or crossing roads, l will catch them and then hand them over to the Wildlife Authority's, so that will be one less exotic on our land here in Australia.

 

[Bearded_Lady]

Yes it is a pest, but there is no reason it could not have been sent to a zoo. I agree with horserule. It is not the animal's fault it was released to a foreign ecosystem, but the animals always seem to cop it for human error.

 

[Reptilian66]

l agree with you Bearded_Lady, that its not the Turtle fault, and it should go to a Zoo, but Zoo's can only look after so much in their care, all Animal's suffer because of human greed.cause we want to have something different and make a few extra dollars by selling them.

 

[notechistiger]

I believe they euthanise exotic animals to help prevent the spread of disease.

 

[Jay84]

Poor thing. They may be one of the top 100 menaces, but i dont agree with its euthanasia. From the article i understood that they have breeding populations in QLD? i didnt know that! They are such hardy animals, they are quite a problem in the UK, although they cant breed as its too cold, they certainly live out their long lives eating eveyrhtin in the ponds..... including the little ducklings! i watched a doco about it

 

[notechistiger]

I thought they were referring to the cane toad and the destruction it has caused.