EXCLUSIVE: Hermiston Woman Caught With More Than 700 Illegal Turtles

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Story Published: Sep 11, 2008 at 6:15 PM PST

By Rudabeh Shahbazi

PENDLETON-- A raid at a Hermiston home left officials with truckloads of Red-Eared Slider Turtles. Police suspect a woman was selling them at events and flea markets around Eastern Oregon.

They received a tip that she had been selling the illegal reptiles at the Milton Frogwater Festival in Milton Freewater, and went to the woman's house to check it out.

Inside, they found 728 turtles stacked on top of each other in crates. Fish and Wildlife officials say this is the highest number of prohibited animals found in memory.

"When you find this many, it's unusual, and it opens your eyes," said Kevin Blakely, of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. "Little problems can be bigger in some areas."

The turtles are only about an inch in diameter now, but Blakely said they grow to size of dinner plates over their 30-year life span. They are a prohibited species because they take over native species' habitat and spread diseases like Salmonella.

"Normally, the State of Oregon tries to return them to their point of origin, but because these legally couldn't even be sold to anybody yet, it's a bit more difficult," said Blakely.

Even if they were legal in Oregon or Washington, sellers would have to wait until they reached four inches, and that could take several years.

Blakely said small turtles are banned because children generally handle them more and have more exposure to Salmonella when the reptiles are small.

"They kind of lose their appeal as cute, cuddly critters in the pet industry after a couple years," he said. "And they tend to get released into the wild or traded around, not cared for."

The turtles are at an undisclosed location in Pendleton, under the watch of ODFW, while a sample is tested for diseases.

If you bought a turtle call ODFW or OSP.

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