Pet fans are being warned to think carefully before buying terrapins after the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film fuelled interest in the animals.
There are fears there may be a rise in the number of reptiles abandoned, as happened following the original Ninja Turtles film in 1990.
Last week, a young boy discovered two large terrapins dumped in a box in a park in Glasgow's Carntyne area.
They are now being cared for by the Scottish SPCA, which has taken in 86 terrapins since the start of the year.
The charity said looking after the creatures can be costly and time consuming and urged people to do their research before buying one.
Scottish SPCA Superintendent Sharon Comrie said: "There was certainly a noticeable rise in the numbers coming into our care after the craze of the first film.
"Unfortunately, many of the animals stayed with us for a very long time before being offered new homes.
"People are often fooled into thinking that terrapins are easy to look after and don't fully consider the time and commitment required to care for them."
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