Lake Ilmensee - Flood washes up another exotic snapping turtle
Strong rain showers in recent weeks have brought an exotic Snapping Turtle to Baden-Württemberg. The finders brought the animal to the Reptile Rescue Station Munich, as they announced on Friday. The experts at the rescue station suspect that the turtle left its home to find a new one. "But we're not sure of that," said Jennifer Vogl from the rescue station.
The turtle was found on a federal road in the community of Illmensee (District Sigmaringen). It is the heaviest of the three snapping turtles found in the past few weeks, weighing around ten kilograms.
Already on June 11, two snapping turtles were found in Bavaria and Rhineland-Palatinate due to flooding. The finders brought these two turtles to the Reptile Rescue Station Munich as well. The experts there suspected at the time that these turtles had been kept as pets and then released by their owners. Subsequently, the adaptable turtles apparently settled in ponds.
The Reptile Rescue Station in the Bavarian state capital is a non-profit organization and, according to its own statements, the largest rescue station for exotic pets in Germany. In general, the snapping turtles would stay in the rescue station for the rest of their lives, said Vogl.
Since snapping turtles can snap and are therefore potentially dangerous, they may no longer be kept as pets. Snapping turtles come from North America and are considered "wildlife counterfeiters" in Germany, which can eat and displace native species.
Anyone who discovers a snapping turtle can send a photo directly to the rescue station for identification. For turtles that are reported, whether potentially dangerous or not, a report should be made to the appropriate authorities.
PM of the Reptile Rescue Station
The exotic Snapping Turtle, now residing in the Reptile Rescue Station Munich, hails from a region outside of Baden-Württemberg, presumably driven by the recent heavy rainfall in Sigmaringen's District. This heavy rainfall in Bavaria and Rhineland-Palatinate also led to the discovery of two more Snapping Turtles, which were subsequently brought to the same rescue station due to flooding. The Bavarian rescue station, renowned as the largest for exotic pets in Germany, aims to house these turtles permanently due to their potentially dangerous nature and status as "wildlife counterfeiters" that can disrupt native species. Individuals who encounter Snapping Turtles in the wild are encouraged to report them to the appropriate authorities for identification and handling, advocated by the Reptile Rescue Station.
