DENVER—More than 50 baby turtles imported illegally from Thailand found a new home Thursday at the Colorado Reptile Humane Society in Longmont, where they’ll be put up for adoption.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife inspectors seized the turtles en route to Denver pet stores at the Denver International Airport.
Society Director Ann-Elizabeth Nash says turtles brought into the U.S. must have shells 4 inches or longer at the time of import.
The Asian soft-shelled turtles are less than two months old with only inch-long shells.
Nash says they can live up to 15 years and grow to about a foot long.
The turtles will go up for adoption once they’re stabilized but need a 55-gallon aquarium and don’t like to be handled by people.
Nash says that in southeast Asia, families and businesses raise the turtles for food.
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Information from: The Denver Post,
