{Dear RES Fans ... lots of RES press hitting the wires this month ... but this sort of thing goes in cycles ... the international papers feed on each other, looking for similar stories in their own contry. Happens with pythons and thing venomous all the time. Cheers, Wes}
THE AUSTRALIAN (Sydney) 01 December 04 Exotic turtle capture sparks fears
(AAP): An American turtle has been discovered in a Canberra backyard, sparking fears the aggressive pest species could get into the Murray-Darling system.
ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope said a single red-eared slider turtle had been discovered in a suburban Kaleen backyard, prompting immediate action from Environment ACT.
"A native of the Mississippi Valley in North America, the red-eared slider turtle is possibly the most commonly kept reptile worldwide, with over eight million individuals exported every year, many illegally," Mr Stanhope said.
"They are recognised as a potentially serious pest in Australia, and are considered to have the ability to establish wild populations in the ACT, from where they could spread throughout the Murray Darling Basin.
"To their credit, the residents of the house in Kaleen immediately alerted Environment ACT rangers, who have collected the turtle.
"At this stage, we have no knowledge as to how the turtle came to be there."
Mr Stanhope said the turtle species was a very aggressive competitor which would out-compete native species for food and space in waterways and lake systems.
"Large specimens have the ability to inflict a painful bite," he said.
"The Queensland government is currently undertaking an eradication program due to the destructive nature of this turtle.
"Thankfully, we have only had two isolated cases of this turtle in the ACT."
Last week one of the turtles was found in the Halpine Dam on Brisbane's northern outskirts and followed the discovery early in the year of a breeding population of up to 80 turtles in small dams on private properties in the same area.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,11554281%5E1702,00.html
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION 01 December 04 Feral turtle threatens waterways
Environment ACT says a turtle found in a backyard in suburban Canberra has the potential to damage local waterways.
The red-eared slider turtle is a popular pet overseas but it is also an aggressive pest.
In other countries where they have got into waterways, the turtles have caused widespread damage to native fish and other turtle species.
Dr Murray Evans from Environment ACT says if any more are found they should be handed in.
"The Murrumbidgee here and the Molonglo of course are the head waters to the Murray River, so populations here could disperse right through the Murray River," he said.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200412/s1255687.htm
