Injured turtle gets a second chance on four wheels
Fitting wheels to a turtle may seem like a cruel joke, but a veterinary practice in the Philippines recently did it to help a giant Aldabra tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea) with hind legs in difficulty.
As their name suggests, Aldabra giant tortoises are among the largest land tortoises. Also called the Aldabra tortoise or giant tortoise, this reptile can weigh up to 550 pounds and live more than 150 years. It is interesting to note that Charles Darwin, among others, worked to protect the species.
The turtle in question lived in a private zoo, but its legs did not work properly. The zoo referred the case to Nielsen Donato, chief surgeon at Vets in Practice, a veterinary practice with seven locations in Metro Manila. Donato and his team took X-rays on their large patient, but detected no dislocations or fractures.
Wheeled turtle
“Most of the time we think it might be hind leg weakness, neurological in origin,” says Donato. Popular science. “There were probably other companions, who sometimes when they try to collide or ride on each other, it can cause trauma to the hind legs, and it took a while for him to recover.” The mount can represent playful or sexual behavior.
The team began treating the problem with anti-inflammatory laser therapy, but then did something that might surprise: They installed four wheels on its plastron, the part of the shell beneath the turtles and tortoises. A video on social media shows the turtle looking rather perplexed as Donato installs his bright orange wheels on its underside.
“We measured the height. Initially it seemed too tall, but we wanted to put less pressure on the legs, and it would also allow him to have a better range of motion when trying to walk,” says Donato. As soon as they put the turtle back on the ground with its newly acquired rolling abilities, “she showed some improvements in mobility and we sent her home.”
After a while, the wheels were removed and the turtle began walking normally again.
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