A report presented by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service has found that Bog turtles and carnivorous plants, particularly the Venus flytrap are among the mostly poached wildlife species in South Carolina. Bog turtles (Glyptemys muhlenbergii) are threatened because of the booming trade of exotic pets. Pundits argue that lax laws regulating the ownership and sale of reptiles in South Carolina have attracted illegal poachers (Tutterow, Graeter, & Pittman, 2017). As a result, more and more poachers are engaging in the lucrative trade which has contributed to endangering the native bog turtles. Bog turtles are captured, packaged in cartons, and shipped to international markets overseas. Research conducted by the South Department of Natural Resources found that the insatiable demand and the enormous profits involved in selling turtles in the world market have escalated cases of poaching. The report established that some dealers make more than $100,000 in a single year selling turtles. Turtles help in spreading that result in plant growth and also keep ponds clean by feeding on dead animals and fish found in water (Tutterow, Graeter, & Pittman, 2017). Therefore, increased poaching of turtles contributes to the destruction of the natural environment. Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula Ellis) has also become one of the endangered plant species in South Carolina. Poachers illegally harvest the carnivorous plants and sell each for around $10. Venus flytraps are slow to germinate and grow and may take up to three years to get a plant for sale when one commercially grows it from seed (Youngsteadt et al., 2018). Crooks are therefore pushed to poach the plant from the wild in an attempt to make quick extra dollars. Research findings from the Fish and Wildlife Service suggest that the plant will be wiped out and become extinct within fifteen years if poaching remains unregulated. What illegal poachers fail to understand is that removing the wild plants alters the entire ecosystem which can, in turn, lead to severe environmental damage and impact.
References
Youngsteadt, E., Irwin, R. E., Fowler, A., Bertone, M. A., Giacomini, S. J., Kunz, M.,& Sorenson, C. E. (2018). Venus Flytrap Rarely traps its pollinators. The American Naturalist, 191(4), 539-546.
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Tutterow, A. M., Graeter, G. J., & Pittman, S. E. (2017). Bog Turtle Demographics within the Southern Population. Copeia, 105(2), 293-300.
