Horrific case

[Tortoise Trust]

In 30 years of working with tortoises I thought I'd seen it all. The very worst. Today, I realised I was wrong.

We have just got back with a 3-year old Leopard tortoise that had been kept with:

• No light
• No heat
• No calcium or any other kind of supplement
• Fed entirely on lettuce, cabbage, etc.

The spine on this tortoise is curved inwards like a banana. It can barely shuffle along. The most shocking thing of all, though, is the UNBELIEVABLE flexibility of the entire carapace. You can actually see everything move as this tortoise breaths.. I have seen "soft" tortoises before (too many) but this one is far and away the worst ever. If you gently press one side of the carapace, the other side moves out in response. It is almost like it is made out of jelly. We are going to get not only photos, but video of this.

The first task is to try to stabilise it and raise the serum calcium and electolyte levels. We'll be doing extensive x-rays over the next couple of days too. With a tortoise as acutely deficient as this, the whole system is in danger of shut-down. We are genuinely shocked at the state of this poor animal, and the thought of what it has suffered over the last few years is heartbreaking. Fortunately, a very caring person managed to "retrieve" it from its previous "keeper" and immediately realised something was badly wrong. Thanks to him, it does at least now have a chance, and is now basking under a lamp (probably for the first time ever). I am watching the shell move up and down as it sleeps...

If you have ever handled a Pancake tortoise, this Leopard's shell is softer and more flexible by a long way. Tragic, as even a few sprinkles of a decent calcium supplement and some attempt at light and heat could have completely prevented this.

Andy Highfield
www.tortoisetrust.org

[LEOPARD GECKO CRAZY]

where was this ????


good luck with him

[SWsarah]

Gosh thats awful. I came accross something like this, i went into my local pet shop and saw a really flat tortoise, it was a tunisian, so soft you could press it from the top and bottom and the two would nearly touch. In such a state, sad to say this tortoise died.

[linda.t]

so sad.

[FreakOonique]

things like this are so heartbreaking, I really just dont know how people could neglect and animal so badly

Good luck xx

[Tina]

That really is heartbreaking. Do you think there's any hope for him for the future Andy?

[Hannah_Honda]

It's terrible. Good luck!!!!!
hope it does well xx

[Junkyard-of-my-mind]

This is a very sad story Andy. hope the little fella makes it and good luck with him sounds like he certainly needs it.

Makes me very sad as i have a Leo.

[LEOPARD GECKO CRAZY]

leo ??

tortoise ? maybe

[chris_greg]

thats disgusting, what kind of nob gets a tortoise and doesnt read any information about it. Hope the tort pulls through and the s**t faces who did this get sorted out.