‘Lego Turtle’ ends 2-year recovery from fractured shell
‘Lego Turtle’ ends 2-year recovery from fractured shell
Jordan Culver
USA TODAY
A turtle’s long road to recovery, which included a custom Lego wheelchair, finally came to an end Wednesday when it took a wheelchair-free walk in a Baltimore park.
The Eastern box turtle, affectionately called the “Lego Turtle” by the Maryland Zoo, was brought in during July 2018 with “multiple fractures on his plastron, the bottom part of his shell,” Dr. Ellen Bronson, the zoo’s senior director of animal health, conservation and research, said in a statement.
“Because of the unique placement of the fractures, we faced a difficult challenge with maintaining the turtle’s mobility while allowing him to heal properly,” Bronson said.
The zoo’s veterinary team used “metal bone plates, sewing clasps and surgical wire” while surgically repairing the turtle’s shell, the zoo said in a statement. To keep the bottom of turtle’s shell off the ground while it was healing, a custom wheelchair was designed and built using Legos.
“They don’t make turtle-sized wheelchairs,” zoo veterinary extern Garrett Fraess said in a statement.
He added, “The small Lego frame surrounds his shell and sits on four Lego wheels. Plumber’s putty attaches the device to the edges of the turtle’s upper shell, which gets him off of the ground and allows his legs to be freed up so he can move.”
The Lego Turtle used his wheelchair through the spring of 2019, Bronson said. According to Bronson, turtles heal more slowly than mammals and birds because of their slow metabolism.
“He needed additional time to fully heal, but we were able to take the wheelchair device off him,” Bronson said. “We kept him at the hospital and continued to monitor his progress, giving him ample exercise time to strengthen his legs in preparation for release.”
The turtle was fitted with a transmitter and
released into Baltimore’s Druid Hill Park – its native habitat. The zoo will monitor his movements.
“This particular turtle was originally tagged in 2000, making him at least 18 years old,” Bronson said. “We are very happy that he is recovering well from his injuries, and we plan to return him to the wild once he is fully healed.”
Eastern box turtles grow to be about 4 inches by 6 inches, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. Subspecies can be found throughout North America, according to the Smithsonian.
An Eastern box turtle needed to use a wheelchair made of Legos while recovering in Maryland from a fractured shell. FROM MARYLAND ZOO/FACEBOOK
Re: ‘Lego Turtle’ ends 2-year recovery from fractured shell
What a great story! Hopefully Lego lives a long, healthy, and happy life.
Re: ‘Lego Turtle’ ends 2-year recovery from fractured shell
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Reptile$ 4 Life
What a great story! Hopefully Lego lives a long, healthy, and happy life.
Me too...that must have felt like a very long 2 years while recovering.
Re: ‘Lego Turtle’ ends 2-year recovery from fractured shell
Such a great story, thanks gir sharing
Nice to see something that isn't doom and gloom about something plastic
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