Absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with Westfield

[Phssthpok]

......here's a question you don't often see on the Westfield site. I've had a snapping turtle (called Phssthpok the Snapper) for about 15 years and it's now big, mean and particularly vicious - just like a snapping turtle should be. Anyway, it needs to go back to the wilds of North America (Florida), so here is my question: I need an export and import licence to take Phssthpok the Snapper back to America. Has anyone any direct experience of taking a technically wild Animal back to the States? If so, can they PM or Email me with the details. Beer tokens will, of course, be proffered to anyone who can help repatriated dear old Phssthpok before the bl**** thing bites my finger off.

[langy]

Take him to the beach and point him in the right direction  

No, i can't help......

[pistonbroke]

Convert to handbag - transport as hanbaggage -

Job done  

[steve_m]

Turn him upside down, strap a rocket to his belly and light the touchpaper and watch him skim his way to the USA  

Why not approach a wildlife park in the UK ?

[funbobby]

Ive just mentioned it to one of the lads in our Forwarding/Customs dept and he is going to look it up for you. I'll let you know what you need.

PS he thinks it will be no problem as he was asked to find out the export procedure for bull sperm yesterday  

[MAT1800]

That would be a lot of visas!!

[pistonbroke]

Slap a 1st class stamp on its A*** with the forwarding address , stick in the post box , no probs.

[markh1970]

You have PM

[S8ight]

its not that straight forward.

depending on how its been kept and if its been treated with anything you may not be able to release it.

would be easier to find a zoo that would take it

[pistonbroke2]

Ill take it of you

The Shell makes great guitar plectrums.

[oldman]

Convert to handbag - transport as hanbaggage -

Job done  

Thought yer could only use jellyfish handbags on planes these days.

[pistonbroke]

Convert to handbag - transport as hanbaggage -

Job done  

Thought yer could only use jellyfish handbags on planes these days.

Only the ones with a sting in the tail  

[Phssthpok]

.......

[Lurksalot]

WOW  no wonder he looks angry , youve called him Phssthpok how on earth are the yanks going to pronounce that !!!

OK  maybe.............. Phssthpok .......but thats only a guess cos I don't do accents  

[Phssthpok]

.......by the way, in respose to the PM regarding Phssthpok's sex: for the Essex readers (unintentional oxymoron) the only way to sex a Snapper is by sticking a pencil up it's derriere because both males and females have the same external genitalia (something Midlands readers should be familiar with) and, depending how far the pencil goes in, will tell you what sex the Snapper is - of course, I could never subject Phssthpok to such indignity, so I have always referred to it as a she for obvious reasons. In Oxford, a glorious land not noted for its indigenous snapper population, or nits, we do have to sometimes ask for outside help, and my problematic chelonian is something I need help with. I have received a number of very helpful emails and PM and took the advice to contact Michael Forstner in San Marcos. I subsequently received the following reply:

Phssthpok,

I can think of another issue and that is the genetic structure in wild NA chelydra, in order to repatriate a turtle we also have to assess its actual origin so as not to place it outside of its "naturally" occurring genetics. We have this issue with alligator snapper as well.

I work with the IUCN Turtle Survival group as a steering committee member and we have a fairly extensive checklist of repatriation points to be evaluated. Ultimately many if not most repatriation efforts fail, understanding the causes and then determining solutions to them is part of what I do for the group.

in this case it is very likely that it would be more likely to do harm than to assist with either the individual's or the species in the wild by repatriation, so I would recommend against it. I am currently involved in two introduction scenarios in the US both of which are likely to require another two years to get the kinks we know now to exist worked out, with certainty of more complications to come....

I would instead suggest that the possibility of nearly two decades of stewardship be used to enhance just these issues by contact with a local public institution that does animal display and care, or a similar facility that can use your efforts on the snapper's behalf over the last 18 years as an example of husbandry and, at the same time, an indication of how serious the commitment to caring for a chelonian really is over a very long term. I just checked longevity records in captivity for this species....47 years.

I hope that you can read from our comments that we understand implicitly that your intentions are for the best, but that repatriation is not the best solution (in our opinions) from either your individual snapper's viability nor from the standpoint of potential negative impacts that could arise.

sincerely,

Mike

Michael Forstner

Chair-TXState IACUC

384 Science Bldg

Dept of Biology

601 University Dr.

Texas State University

San Marcos,

So it would seems from Mike's reply that Phssthpok the Snapper should not be repatriated back to the States and should spend the remainder of it's life in this country. So, I now need to find a suitable venue for the Snapper. As  releasing it into the wild is not an option, any suggestions gratefully received and thanks for the help so far.