On Thu, 15 May 2008 00:07:32 +1200, Andrew Grebneff <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >>"Snails" is interpreted by customs as "live land snails that will >>devour whole farms if they get off the plane". > >Yep... pig-ignorance. "Midwestern Wheat Crop Destroyed by Rampaging >Pteropods..." > >>One possible approach would be to start explaining in detail what each >>specimen is. This got my brother through security fairly quickly with >>a backpack of fossils. > >not in New Zealand... where customs officials have told me that >fossils are dug out of the ground and may carry unwanted organisms... >so declaring them as rocks won't help. I guess, if they are >molluscan, I could call them shells... as this would be entirely true. >-- >Andrew Grebneff >Dunedin >New Zealand >Fossil preparator >Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut >? Opinions stated are mine, not those of Otago University >"There is water at the bottom of the ocean" - Talking Heads > Well, they might have been right. If you brought your unwashed NZ fossils to the Old Country then I might have had to face these: http://www.terranature.org/gigantism.htm or this: http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/CA25677D007DC87D/LUbyDesc/phearthworm/ $File/phearthworm.jpg http://tinyurl.com/44t7m6 The 'guardians' ie those idiots at customs are supposed to try and stop this, but they haven't a chance. For a few horrendous stories of exotic introductions and what they can do, just Google: Partula Zebra Mussels Rabbits - Australia Rats - New Zealand Water Hyacinth - anywhere Nile Perch - Lake Victoria Kudzu White men - anywhere, but especially in North and Meso America The point I'm trying to make is that nobody knows how these apparently very minor introductions can have huge repercussions. The last time I went there, the US customs asked (very aggressively) if I was bringing in any fruit. Five years later, Israeli soldiers told my 6-year old son to give up the Jordanian orange he was sucking as we crossed the Allenby Bridge (because he was hot and thirsty - it's about the lowest point on earth, and very hot). That is sheer nonsense - sometimes these sensible precautions become political weapons. regards Richard ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs To leave this list, click on the following web link: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=conch-l&A=1 Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and click leave the list. ----------------------------------------------------------------------