Man caught smuggling geckos and pythons in clothes, tarantula in luggage

October 28, 1:36 AMGreen Living ExaminerAmy Lou Jenkins

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This image made available by Norway's Kristiansand Regional Customs Service, Tuesday Oct 27, 2009, shows how an unidentified 22-year-old Norwegian man attempted to smuggle two dozen snakes and geckos into Norway under his clothes, after traveling on a ferry from Hirtshals, Denmark. Customs agent Helge Breilid said Monday that the man was apprehended in the southern town of Kristiansand with 14 royal pythons and 10 albino leopard geckos under his clothes.(AP Photo/Kristiansand Regional Customs Service, ho)

This 22-year-old man was caught by customs officials as he tried to smuggle three different kind of exotic animals into Norway.  He taped 10 baby king pythons to his chest, 14  geckos to his legs, and attempted to smuggle a live tarantula in his luggage.

While these animals are not endangered, many native species are harmed when exotic animals are released into non native habitats.  While the climate of Norway would likely not support  a wild population of these exotics, introduction of exotic species has  caused extinctions in many ecosystems.  Hawaii has more endangered species per square mile than anywhere else on the planet, and much of the problem is attributable to the introduction of nonnative species. The Green Living Examiner has looked at many of these issues. Invasive giant killer snakes are  thriving in the Everglades.  Asian carp are destroying  ecosystems and slapping boaters around. Every US woodland  is in danger as garlic mustard invades. Stink bugs are gathering en masse in the Northeast.  Man caught smuggling wild songbirds in pants. Americans love the parrot to death