Don’t panic, the Chelydra Serepentina specimen is in the Coastal Zoo, which specializes in exotic species.
One bite from it can sever your fingers cleanly
It will remain in temporary foster care at the Tropicarium Park in Jesolo, as reported by Prima Venezia, the bitterling turtle(Chelydra Serepentina) recovered last week in a drainage ditch in Dosson di Casier (TV) by Vicenza Cites Carabinieri. The Coastal Zoological Park, which specializes in exotic species meticulously recreating their habitat, has already taken delivery of the healthy female specimen weighing about 10 kilograms, which was promptly examined by Tropicarium Park director Diego Cattarossi, who micro-chipped her after she had been seized against unknown persons by the military, as required by a Ministry of the Environment decree that places this species on the list of “Dangerous Animals” for public health, and therefore not detainable, let alone marketable on national soil.
“Tropicarium Park will know how to be a safe haven for her, pending relocation to a facility licensed to hold dangerous species again.” comments the zoo’s owner, Monica Montellato “one of the most important missions of our facility housed at Jesolo’s Pala Invent is precisely to protect local biodiversity by securing, even for short periods of time, dangerous exotic species whose presence can threaten our local ecosystems. The Biter Turtle in question already exhibits. an important size signal of the long time it has been able to exert its voracity in the local habitat devoid of antagonistic species to counter it.”
Native to North America, where it prefers mainly stagnant waters of lakes, rivers and swamps, the Bittern Tortoise is very robust and has a very powerful head and legs as well as a respectable carapace. As an adult it can exceed 40 centimeters in length and is considered in our rural environments a super predator as it feeds on anything it can swallow putting all other species at serious risk.
It is famous among members of the family Chelydridae, from which it derives the adjective “biter,” for the sudden jerk it makes when it vigorously bites its prey. It is also dangerous to humans and should be handled with reinforced gloves because of its bite that can sever the fingers of a hand cleanly. So much so that the carabinieri foresters who captured it advise people to be very careful if they spot it, contacting the relevant authorities immediately.
Tropicarium Park has been open since early May after a closure period in which it entirely renovated the terrariums and aquatic tanks where it houses about 100 exotic species. It currently opens to the public only on Saturdays and Sundays having already recorded a success of a thousand visitors in the first two weekends of operation.
“We are confident,” adds the management, “that we will be able to open to the public every day as soon as possible because the park is self-funded and the operating expenses to be incurred to maintain the animals are very high, especially following the severe losses due to the forced but necessary closure during the pandemic period.”
Tropicarium Park management urges visitors to purchase entrance tickets directly from www.tropicarium.it or write to exponaturaitalia@gmail.com so as to avoid waiting at the entrance.
