recognize turtle by the shell

Question

shell bag  

Shell bag   Hello, I have posted a turtle shell bag for sale on ebay and they have taken it off the listing because I have not stated the kind of turtle it is as it could be a protected species. Could you recognize the shell and tell me if it is protected or unprotected?  I have attached a picture of the bag.  Thanks.  Russ

Answer
Hi Russell,

It would help if you could give me some more information on how you obtained the shell--did you find it locally, buy it, etc.?  Knowing where the shell came from will help me to narrow down the species.  Could you give me the approximate length of the shell as well?  Finally, by "protected species," does ebay mean CITES protection, state law, or what?  There can be protection for a species on the state, federal, or international level, and I'm not sure how ebay considers all that.  Based on the photo, I think it's most likely a common snapping turtle shell, which isn't protected state/federally that I'm aware of, but it's considered an invasive species in Oregon and illegal to keep alive.  I have no idea whether that would impact the sale of the shell itself--that would probably be a question you'd have to ask Fish & Game.