The Transportation Security Administration said an officer at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey found a live turtle concealed in the crotch of a traveler's pants.

A Pennsylvania man was caught attempting to smuggle a live turtle in his pants at Newark Liberty International Airport after a Transportation

Authorities say a man passing through security at a New Jersey airport was found to have a live turtle concealed in his pants.

The urge to smuggle contraband through airport security brings out the inner criminal in all of us, but one Pennsylvania native really came out of his shell when he decided to try and smuggle a live turtle through customs by stuffing it down his shorts.

"As best as we can tell, the turtle was not harmed by the man’s actions," a TSA official said after an East Stroudsburg man hid the animal in his pants.

TSA agents are primarily tasked with preventing travelers from bringing potentially dangerous items onto an airplane. However, they also encounter plenty

After a pat down, the man reached into the front of his pants and pulled out a live turtle, which was wrapped in a blue towel, according to the TSA. The agency said the man identified the turtle as a red-eared slider, which WildlifeNYC describes as an invasive turtle species and one of the most common turtles found in New York City.

When asked if there was something hidden in his pants, the Pennsylvania man reached down the front of his pants and pulled out a live turtle wrapped in a small blue towel, the TSA says. It did not appear to be harmed.

A Pennsylvania man attempted to pass through outbound security at New Jersey's Newark Liberty international airport with a turtle concealed in his pants. The creature reportedly set off an alarm and was found in the man's "groin area" when Transportation Security Administration workers patted him down.