Dried or stuffed examples are also encountered. In Tunisia, large numbers of skinks and snakes are killed, sun-dried, and crudely mounted in presentation boxes for sale to tourists, along with even larger numbers of scorpions. Tortoises, however, form the major part of the souvenir market. Most souvenir shops would have on display between 10 and 20 of these items and may have more in stock. In Agadir, Marrakech and Tangier there were a very large number of shops selling these banjos.
Some shops offer similar instruments made from gourds or from ceramic bowls.
Trade in these sustainable and cruelty-free alternatives should be encouraged. That the trade in tortoise-derived souvenirs is having an extremely damaging effect upon surviving tortoise populations is beyond doubt and improved legislation to protect tortoises, together with education efforts aimed at persuading tourists not to purchase such objects, must rank as a major conservation priority within Morocco. In Tunisia, tortoise exploitation is extremely widespread, with both live and dead specimens on open sale in practically every tourist centre in the country. Local laws exist which prohibit this in theory, but in practice these laws are never enforced. Whilst most traditional forms of utilisation do not at the present time form a direct threat to the survival of species, growing human populations are increasing the demand for such products.