This female eastern box turtle was taken from the wild after someone saw her and was concerned about her facial deformities. She has no eyes and small nares that she breaths through. Her mouth is pointed, giving her the appearance of a bird. This is a difficult case in that it is impossible to know if she was born this way or has suffered injuries that she miraculously survived. It is sad to think that she has survived this long and taken from the wild where she should be. Since box turtles have to be released to the area they were found and that is unknown to me, she will remain here. She is outside in a natural habitat to allow her to be as comfortable as possible.
Not all turtles that come to our facility are injured. This female snapping turtle was kept in a barrel by someone who was going to butcher it for a meal. After a friend encouraged him for several weeks to rethink his decision, the turtle was left on the porch of the friend. The turtle began to lay eggs in the large tub they bought just for her to stay in until we could come to pick up the turtle. After observing her for a few days, she was happily released. There were close to 40 eggs, most of them destroyed by mom as she moved around in the tank. The remaining eggs were incubated but did not hatch.
This juvenile eastern box turtle named Bug was found in the middle of a road. After being hit, birds then attacked it. There were no serious shell injuries but it appeared to have head trauma causing extensive swelling of the eyes. The birds would have soon removed them if the turtle had not been rescued. Although now blind, Bug is now doing well, being alert for sound and smells.
