Man tried to sneak invasive turtle through airport security in his pants, TSA says

A Pennsylvania man was caught trying to carry a live turtle through airport security by hiding the reptile in his pants, the Transportation Security Administration said Tuesday.

The man, who has not been identified, was flagged last week when he went through a body scanner at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, the security agency said in a news release. 

A TSA officer conducted a pat-down of the man’s groin area and determined there was something hidden there. When asked if he was hiding something, the man reached down the front of his pants and pulled out a live turtle, the TSA said. The reptile was wrapped in a small blue towel. Officials estimated the turtle to be about five inches long. 

The man allegedly told officials the reptile was a red-ear slider turtle. 

This type of turtle is native to the Mississippi River area, according to the National Invasive Species Information Center. It is a popular pet but is one of the most invasive species in the world because owners often release them into the wild, according to the the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. The turtles can live between 20 and 30 years, and are named for a distinctive reddish stripe behind each eye. Red-ear slider turtles can weigh up to two pounds and range in length from five to 11 inches. The species is not endangered.

Port Authority Police questioned the man and took possession of the turtle. They indicated they would contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and local animal control officials, the TSA said. Thomas Carter, the TSA’s Federal Security Director for New Jersey, said that “as best as we could tell, the turtle was not harmed by the man’s actions. 

The man missed his flight and was escorted from the checkpoint by police, the TSA said. The agency did not say if he would face charges. 

Carter said he believed this was the first time a case like this had occurred. 

“We have seen travelers try to conceal knives and other weapons on their person, in their shoes and in their luggage, however I believe this is the first time we have come across someone who was concealing a live animal down the front of his pants,” Carter said. 

In 2024, the TSA stopped a traveler from bringing a bag of snakes on board a plane, CBS News reported. In 2023, Miami airport officials confiscated a bag of smuggled Amazon parrot eggs and live birds after they heard chirping coming from a duffel bag.