Smugglers & Poachers

Three people were arrested for trying to smuggle geckos out of New Zealand. (News source.)

Six people were arrested in South Africa for trading in leopard tortoises. (News source.)

Pythons Stolen

A petting zoo in South Fort Myers had a python stolen from them. (News source.)

Venomous News

The Maryland woman who claimed she was bitten by a loose cobra has been charged by DNR with possession of two venomous snakes. (News source.)

Utah is considering allowing residents to keep rattlesnakes. (News source.)

Australian snakebites are on the rise (News source.); a hiker in Tasmania was bitten by an unidentified snake. (News source.)

Smuggler Jailed

A German man who smuggled lizards out of New Zealand has been jailed for 14 weeks. (News source.)

Snake Poacher

Arizona G&F prosecuted a snake/turtle poacher in 2009. (News source.)

Reptile Zoo Fined

An Ontario serpentarium operator was charged with possession of four native species (some considered endangered in Ontario) and fined $8,000 (CAN). (News source.)

Gopher Tortoise Poaching

Someone has killed and eaten at least 13 gopher tortoises in the Wabasso Scrub Conservation Area (Florida). (News source.)

Smuggled Lizards in His Underwear

Enough said. (News source.)

Missouri Turtle Dealer Sentenced

A Missouri turtle farmer was sentenced for shipping native and endangered species without permit to Japan. (News source.)

Smuggler Caught

A California man was busted for smuggling "two geckos, 11 skinks and two monitor lizards" from Australia, apparently having them strapped to his chest. (News source.)

Smuggler

A man tried to smuggle ball pythons and leopard geckos (and a tarantula) into Norway, but got caught when they searched him. (News source.)

Shingleback Smuggler

A Japanese man was arrested for trying to smuggle shingleback skinks out of Australia. (News source.)

Famous Local Gator Not Poached

The Georgia gator that was feared poached turned up alive, and the carcass has been traced to a suspect. (News source.)

Turtles & the Law

A Massachusetts developer has run into restrictions from box turtle conservation requirements. (News source.)

The US Army wants to relocate 1100 endangered California desert tortoises. (News source.)

The USFWS is reviewing the desert tortoise for possible ESA inclusion. (News source.)

A Canadian turtle keeper was sentenced to nine months in jail for keeping threatened species, mostly Blanding's turtles. (News source.)

Sea turtles and their eggs will be banned for possession, consumption, etc., in the Bahamas soon. (News source.)

Vietnamese officials seized 10 tons of tortoise and pangolin shells smuggled in from Indonesia. (News source.)

Poachers continue to threaten the Madagascar spider tortoise. (News source.)

Sea Turtle Smuggling

Indonesian police seized 45 poached green sea turtles. (News source.)

Smugglers

Two suspected tortoise smugglers have been arrested in London. (News source.)

Sabotage at Croc Farm?

A Singapore croc farm operator found 50 baby crocodiles dead in their pond; police investigation is underway. (News source.)

Crocodile News

A 52-year old Malaysian man survived a crocodile attack. (News source.)

Australian police are searching for thieves who stole 18 young saltwater crocs from a crocodile farm in Darwin. (News source.)

Snake Bites

A Green Bay, Wisconsin, teen was bitten by a captive rattlesnake. It and several other illegally kept venomous snakes were confiscated. (News source.)

A Louisiana firefighter was bitten by a cottonmouth. (News source.)

Turtle Legal Issues

Florida has introduced their new rules on taking freshwater turtles. (News source.)

A Maldives resort could be in trouble for their unlicensed "conservation" project with sea turtle eggs. (News source.)

A nearly $3 million "ecopassage" under a busy Florida highway is mostly to save turtles (and protect motorists), but is controversial in Congress. (News source.)

Polish customs officials arrested a Ukrainian man for smuggling tortoises. (News source.)

A Filipino man was arrested in Malaysia for smuggling/selling turtle eggs. (News source.)