Gopher tortoise spray painted blue.

Mr Buster

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JoesMum

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Tortoises absorb most UVB through their skin not through their shell according to the scientific reports I have read.

Nonetheless this is an awful thing to do to a tortoise and could still affect its health :(
 

Mr Buster

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Tortoises absorb most UVB through their skin not through their shell according to the scientific reports I have read.

Nonetheless this is an awful thing to do to a tortoise and could still affect its health :(

Look at the article pictures. The tortoise's entire body was painted.
 

tortoise5643

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That's awful, I really can't imagine how you could do that. On the shell maybe (not agreeing with it) but on its skin, especially it's head and ace, that's awful. Glad they got it off of him and released him with no bad consequences.
The tortoise does look cool though. . .
 

ZEROPILOT

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I posted about a year ago about a Gopher tortoise wandering around a gas station parking lot near my house almost completely covered in spray paint.
Someone must have tossed him out at that spot because there are nothing but busy roads and houses there.
I scratched off as much paint as I could and bought him to an area where I'd seen many gophers before and dropped him off.
It's tricky because even if you're pretty sure that you're doing the right thing, a lot of states have very strict laws about even touching an indigenous tortoise. So spray painted, injured, etc. as long as it is in an area that is it's living environment, the law would say to leave it alone.
This one was not safe and needed help.
 
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