The DU Lounge
Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsBeamer 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 Protections 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 Beamers 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 Beamers 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
Flaxbee
(13,661 posts)looks a little awkward, but if it works, heck - Beamer's happy, it seems!
We've adopted a couple of these, over the years, in Maryland, WITHOUT Legos!
HopeHoops
(47,675 posts)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)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)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.