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Kadie

(15,369 posts)
Mon Jun 4, 2012, 10:57 PM Jun 2012

Beamer the Eastern box turtle gets around on leg made of Legos


Posted: Thursday, May 31, 2012 6:51 pm
By Andrew Ragali, Record-Journal staff |



snip...
The Eastern box turtle is on the Department of Environmental and Energy Protection’s Special Concern list, as there are less instances of the type of wetlands the species calls its natural habitat than there used to be in Connecticut. Since Beamer’s chances for survival in the wild were compromised, veterinarians came up with a clever solution: a prosthetic leg made of Legos.

“The doctor cut two holes through the edge of the shell,” Kaeser said. It was a painless procedure, explained Kaeser, comparing the edge of the shell to the white part of a human finger or toe nail.

A Lego version of a three-wheeled motorcycle was then attached backwards, tied in through the two holes drilled by veterinarians, and has been serving as Beamer’s back right leg for more than a decade.

Beamer has now become a part of the family.

more...
http://www.myrecordjournal.com/southington/article_3bfa90d2-ab73-11e1-a78d-001a4bcf887a.html







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Beamer the Eastern box turtle gets around on leg made of Legos (Original Post) Kadie Jun 2012 OP
good story! Flaxbee Jun 2012 #1
Neat. elleng Jun 2012 #2
I've got to search for it, but I have pictures of a box turtle under my Obama '08 yard sign. HopeHoops Jun 2012 #4
Daughter has rescued a couple in Aquasco, P.G. County, MD; stops on the road elleng Jun 2012 #5
The Reston, VA area is notorious for snapping turtles crossing the road. HopeHoops Jun 2012 #6
Damn. I HAVE that motorcycle set - well, minus the turtle. HopeHoops Jun 2012 #3
 

HopeHoops

(47,675 posts)
4. I've got to search for it, but I have pictures of a box turtle under my Obama '08 yard sign.
Tue Jun 5, 2012, 10:36 AM
Jun 2012

I have NO idea where the thing came from - we're at least half a mile from the nearest natural habitat. After we had fun with the camera, we took him to a wooded area with nearby wetlands and sent him on his way. I used to find them all the time in MD, but this is the first one I've seen in at least a decade (in PA now).

elleng

(131,457 posts)
5. Daughter has rescued a couple in Aquasco, P.G. County, MD; stops on the road
Tue Jun 5, 2012, 12:22 PM
Jun 2012

and saves them, takes them home for a bit, feeds them, and they move on. She pretty much lives in a natural habitat, along with 3 dogs, a cat and a 'gold' fish.

As to 'yours,' Slow and Steady, you know!

 

HopeHoops

(47,675 posts)
6. The Reston, VA area is notorious for snapping turtles crossing the road.
Tue Jun 5, 2012, 12:45 PM
Jun 2012

They even have signs on the road (like deer crossing signs). I've moved a shitload of the things off of the highway. You always take them to the side of the road they were heading toward or they'll just turn right around and head back into the roadway. People drive like assholes there, and not just your typical assholes. I stopped on the shoulder right off an exit to move a turtle that probably weighed a good 70 lbs - easily 2' in diameter. In the short time that took, three SUV's blared their horns at me (and the car had the flashers on). Another time I spanned both lanes of traffic with my 84 Colony Park (20ish feet) to guard a duck and her ducklings while they crossed the road. A couple other people got out to help me herd them but some asshole in an SUV drove up onto the median strip to get around and almost took out the last baby in the line. Can you seriously be in that big of a hurry to get to McDonald's?

On Edit: I lived in Riverdale for a couple of years.

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