What the shell.
A Pennsylvania man missed his flight after being caught with a live turtle in his pants while passing through security at a New Jersey airport, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
The traveler set off alarms when he walked through the body scanner at Newark International Airport Friday, prompting TSA agents to conduct a pat-down.
That’s when they realized there was something concealed near his groin.
Officers asked the man what he was hiding — and he reached into his pants and withdrew a turtle wrapped in a towel.
The 5-inch critter, he declared on the spot, was a red-ear slider turtle, which are popular pets among the turtle-owning set.
Coming out of his shell earned the man no sympathy, however — his pet was confiscated before and was escorted out of the airport by Port Authority police.
It remains unclear whether the man, who hailed from East Stroudsburg, would face any charges or penalties for the incident.
“We have seen travelers try to conceal knives and other weapons on their person, in their shoes and in their luggage, however I believe this is the first time we have come across someone who was concealing a live animal down the front of his pants,” TSA Federal Security Director for New Jersey Thomas Carter said.
“As best as we could tell, the turtle was not harmed by the man’s actions,” he added.
With Post wires