Interesting CL post on the sale of small turtles

As we all know it is illegal to sell turtles under four inches, which a breeder was trying to do on Craigslist and getting killed by posts by flag Nazis. Here is what someone from the DNR had to say about the matter. They are pretty much saying they are not going to come knocking down your door over selling turtles as long as you are responsible and not releasing them into the wild.

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I work at the DNR wild life division. As for the comment of the lady or gentleman stating that the federal is above all Georgia Law, that is true. But the Federal Law clearly states selling of turtles under 4 inches. Now I haven't seen the posting of the gentleman or lady that is posting these turltes. But as long as the person is not stating "For Sale" or they do not have a physical store, then there is nothing wrong with what he/she is doing. The main concern we have as far as the Federal law as well is please DO NOT release any captive and non Georgia animals into the wild. Spread of Disease is the main concern. Just like many Federal and State Laws there are always loop holes and ways of getting around them.
The federal law will always ask the local DNR to look into complaints.
I mean seriously, do you honestly think the Federal Gov. or anything to do with the Government will invest anytime in something as small as a case about turtles?

Please visit http://www.gadnr.org/ for more information and on ways you can help.

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I thought I had read somewhere a year or 2 ago that the law about turtles under 4 inches had been lifted. :confuzd:

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Originally Posted by kc261

I thought I had read somewhere a year or 2 ago that the law about turtles under 4 inches had been lifted. :confuzd:

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Not in GA at least. They might have been trying to lift it? The whole ban is dumb IMO, a child died from putting one in his mouth and died from salmonella and the parents made the ban happen( sorta like " McDonalds Coffee burnt me!")

If you want a small turtle there are many ways you can get them, which I think the ban should stop. Turtles are not easy in the least bit to take care of and many people put them in a small tank with no lights thinking their cute little turtle will be fine. If they do somehow keep it alive alot of owners release them because of how big some get:rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by Beardedragon

As we all know it is illegal to sell turtles under four inches, which a breeder was trying to do on Craigslist and getting killed by posts by flag Nazis. Here is what someone from the DNR had to say about the matter. They are pretty much saying they are not going to come knocking down your door over selling turtles as long as you are responsible and not releasing them into the wild.

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I dont think this info is from a REAL DNR person.Now i am not putting him down or anything just commenting on it as a whole.First he mispelled some words(with his education needed this should not happen).Second they are not going to tell you its ok to "adopt" out something thats illegal to do(turtles under 4 inches).Third and the biggest hint something is not legite they are not going to point out that there are loopholes to get out of it if you get caught.In my opinion it probably is from the person trying to sell his turtles ;).

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Originally Posted by Beardedragon

Not in GA at least. They might have been trying to lift it? The whole ban is dumb IMO, a child died from putting one in his mouth and died from salmonella and the parents made the ban happen( sorta like " McDonalds Coffee burnt me!")

If you want a small turtle there are many ways you can get them, which I think the ban should stop. Turtles are not easy in the least bit to take care of and many people put them in a small tank with no lights thinking their cute little turtle will be fine. If they do somehow keep it alive alot of owners release them because of how big some get:rolleyes:

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I think the ban is good in a certain sense. I work in a pet store, and you would not believe the amount of people coming in with ZERO experience, and asking for baby turtles "for their kids to raise."

Sucks that because of uneducated people, everybody suffers the consequences...

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Originally Posted by LizardofOzz

I think the ban is good in a certain sense. I work in a pet store, and you would not believe the amount of people coming in with ZERO experience, and asking for baby turtles "for their kids to raise."

Sucks that because of uneducated people, everybody suffers the consequences...

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I agree completely. However, its wrong that experienced people are not given a chance to own one.
Something about this kind of thing, my breeder that I received my corn snake from talked to me a lot about experience. He later told me that if he felt there wasn't enough experience for certain owners (he had a lot of turtles and larger snakes) that he would refuse a sale. He said he had occasionally stomping angry parents come in complaining that he wouldn't sell a blood python to their 12 year old child.

So yeah. I hate stupid parentals like that.

Interesting part about the ban is that it only prevents the sale of a turtle under 4 inches, but not the possession of such. In my state, its also illegal for a vendor to sell a native species. So basically I can own any size or species of turtle providing its not on the restricted list (not many turtles there), but a vendor is not allowed to sell me one is its under 4 inches or of a species native to me. I was looking at a stinkpot because it remains fairly small, but the local DNR told me it was considered a native species.

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Originally Posted by kc261

I thought I had read somewhere a year or 2 ago that the law about turtles under 4 inches had been lifted. :confuzd:

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PIJAC was recently involved with this. The current wording was screwed up so that if it had passed, it would have outlawed all reptile sales that were not turtles smaller than 4 inches.

I'm not sure what the status is now. I got an email from NARBC about 6/12/08.