PetAirline flies snapping turtle to the US

Pet relocation specialist PetAirline has completed the international transport of two turtles – a hefty Alligator Snapping Turtle and a palm-sized Musk Turtle – to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), the latest example of its work moving exotic animals across borders.

The move followed their owner's relocation to the United States, allowing the family's two long-standing companion turtles to resettle together. Given the snapping turtle's size and powerful jaws, PetAirline built a bespoke wooden crate suited to the species, and transported each animal in its own enclosure in line with species-specific requirements and international transport standards. Ahead of the shipment the company also prepared the necessary paperwork, including compliance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

‘Understanding the biological characteristics of each species and the international regulations that apply to them is the most important aspect of exotic animal transportation,' a PetAirline representative said. Alongside dogs and cats, the firm handles a range of exotic animals, including turtles and birds, offering relocation services tailored to country-specific quarantine rules and CITES requirements.