A consignment of exotic spiders, amphibians and reptiles have been intercepted in a parcel from the US en route to a pet shop in the west of Ireland.
Officers from Revenue's Customs service made the find at Dublin Airport on Monday.
A total of 78 species were found in the parcel that had arrived by airfreight from the US.
As a result of the seizure Customs officers in Limerick searched two premises.
The package had been declared as 'aquatic plants'. The snakes and sliders (freshwater tortoises) were sealed in small cloth bags and the rest of the animals had been stowed in ten plastic food containers, all of which had been tightly packed into a cardboard box.
The animals were rushed to Dublin Zoo where they received expert care.
Staff at Dublin Zoo have also helped in identifying each species.
Three animals had died in transit and it is believed there would have been more fatalities had the parcel not been intercepted by Customs.
All of the species are prohibited on importation unless accompanied by an import licence.
The Emperor Scorpions, which were in the parcel, also require an import permit under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
The complete number and species contained in the package were:
4 Rose Hair tarantulas (Grammostola cala); 2 Guyana Pinktoe tarantulas (Avicularia avicularia); 8 Green snakes (rough) (Opheodrys aestivus), 1 died in transit; 50 Red-ear sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans); 2 Leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularis); 10 Fire-bellied toads (Bombina spp.); 2 Emperor scorpions (Pandinus imperator), both died in transit.
