Illegal ‘eastern musk turtles’ nabbed in Brooklyn by DEC in undercover buy

September 11, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

One of the illegal turtles. Photo: DEC

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BOROUGHWIDE — UNDERCOVER OFFICERS WITH the state Department of Environmental Conservation confiscated four eastern musk turtles in an undercover buy in Brooklyn on Aug. 29, DEC said in a release Wednesday. Environmental Conservation Officer Rappold, with assistance from an unnamed investigator in DEC’s Bureau of Environmental Crimes Investigations, made the buy and seized the turtles, which had been advertised online. The turtles were transported to a rehabilitator for care, and the seller was slapped with tickets for unlawfully offering protected wildlife for sale and possessing turtles less than four inches long.

The eastern musk turtle (Sternotherus odoratus), also called stinkpot, is named for the strong musky odor that it emits when threatened, according to the nature non-profit Ontario Nature. They are native to New York and cannot be taken, sold, possessed, or transported in the state without the proper permits.

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