Reptiles in mail saved

MORE than 100 native reptiles, some of which were stuffed in socks and labelled as bags of chips, have been stopped from illegal export.

The international mail parcels were mainly posted from Melbourne or Sydney and destined for China, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Russia.

The 20 consignments, containing more than 110 native reptiles, including shingleback lizards, eastern spiny tailed skinks, geckos and blue tongue lizards, were stopped by Australian Border Force officers in the past three months.