Turtle hitches a ride on a plane to Tas

A small turtle is in the care of quarantine officers after falling from an overhead locker of a commercial passenger flight into Hobart.

The Murray River short-necked turtle travelled to the island on Sunday in the baggage compartment of an inbound plane, reported by the ABC as a Jetstar flight, and was discovered when the locker was opened and it landed on a passenger's foot, Biosecurity Tasmania boss Lloyd Klumpp confirmed

"This is a good result where the airline and Biosecurity Tasmania took swift action," Mr Klumpp said of the response which prevented the species - which is a common pet on mainland Australia but considered invasive in Tasmania - from entering the state.