COLUMBIA, S.C. — More than 200 Eastern Box Turtles were seized as part of an investigation of illegal reptile exports from South Carolina.
Investigators with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources say federal and state agents seized more than 200 Eastern Box Turtles last month as part of a crack down illegal reptile exports from the state.
They believe the turtles were caught in the wild and were intended to be delivered to another country where they could be traded.
Many of the turtles seized were dehydrated and have been taken to the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Lab for treatment and rehabilitation. Biologists will also perform health assessments and remove markings placed on the turtles before releasing them back into the wild.
SCDNR says international demand for the Eastern Box Turtle is putting the species at risk. These turtles depend on high adult survival and collection of this magnitude may have presented local extinction of this species.
