The Grand Canal terrapins

SMALL PRINT:BRINGING A whole new meaning to catch of the day, a Dublin man was surprised to find a "shoebox-sized turtle" at the end of his rod while fishing in the Grand Canal at Portobello yesterday. The "turtle", which turned out to be a diamondback terrapin, is one of a number of the species currently living in that area of the canal.

Terrapins living in Irish waterways, ponds and lakes are described as “an ongoing problem” by the Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) although operations manager Orla Aungier says it’s unlikely they are breeding in the wild.

According to the DSPCA, terrapins are being dumped in the canal by their owners when they get too big. “People are buying terrapins without doing much research,” Aungier says. The species can grow to the size of a dinner plate according to Aungier, who says one particular terrapin has been living in a pond in Marlay Park for more than two years.

“This problem has been going on the last five or six years. It started about 20 years ago, when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon was around and it became popular for kids to get terrapins.

“We see waves in interest; every few years you’ll get a peak again. In many instances they’re purchased by parents who see them as a small, easy pet that lives in a tank and is a little bit different, but then they grow up and are being let loose and put into the likes of the canals and many of the parks in Dublin.”

There is also the potential for damage to the environment caused by the released terrapins, as they are not indigenous to Ireland.

The animals are rarely found in Dublin waterways during the winter months as cold weather and ice on the water surface cause them to freeze to death. Breeding in the wild in Ireland is unlikely, as terrapin eggs need to be incubated at a high temperature.

There have been similar problems with terrapins and turtles being released into the wild in the UK over the past few years.

Here, the DSPCA say that if a member of the public finds a terrapin or turtle they should contact their local SPCA and have the reptile removed to a local shelter.