Booming sales of terrapins in Christchurch

Press, 29 December 1979, Page 3

Booming sales of terrapins in Christchurch

The sale of terrapins (freshwater tortoise) in Christchurch is reaching saturation point. One pet shop owner said yesterday he was surprised they were not available for sale at dairies by now. The owner, who said he did not want to be named, said terrapins had been freelv available to buy in Christchurch for the last four months. They sold tor S4O to $6O each. “We understand they have been bred in the North Island and there is no reason to doubt this.” he said. Another pet shop owner' said his stock of terrapins! (also often called turtles) [ which had sold for about $5O each, had run out but that another supply was due in about two weeks. Four other pet shops that■ were open vesterday did not stock or sell terrapins.

A Press Association report from Wellington yesterday ‘ said that Ministry' of Agri ; culture and Fisheries officers v. ere investigating reports that shipments of an Austra- [ lian species of freshwater tortoise — red-eared terrapins — may have been illegally imported. In recent weeks pet shops in the Wellington region have been selling the young terra, pins for as much as $4O each. Terrapin and tortoise imports were banned several years ago because the authorities feared they caused . salmonella poisoning in humans and animals. [ It had yet to be firmly esi' tablished whether the terrapins had been imported or i bred in New Zealand. One Wellington pet shop :i owner said his supply had : | come from Auckland where they were being bred,