Amazing Story My Vet Can't Explain- New Video

[Anthony P]

Hello everyone,

For those that don't know, we are now making our own educational videos to share with everyone, mostly regarding the species we have had the good fortune to work with.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg6Am86iR6o

This video, and the story it tells, is truly a remarkable one, which I'm sure will spark the interest of any chelonian person.

Right now, the veterinarians cannot tell me anything regarding this case. My vet has never seen anything like this, and almost a week after our appointment, she still has not contacted me with any news from vets who have experience with a case like this. I have reached out to many Actinemys and turtle rehab experts and those who have returned my lengthy email have never seen a case quite like this either. I welcome any feedback I can get on this story, but I do not really expect any first hand accounts if my vet can't get any...

The 13 days since we acquired this turtle have been a roller-coaster of emotion, but the turtle appears to be in perfect health, and is doing quite well in every way.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Anthony:

I also have an actinemys marmarota who had a hole in her shell. This one came to me with a quarter-sized hole in her carapace. Like yours, the membrane protecting the organs was intact, but you could see the lungs moving as she breathed. Because the turtle had been living like this for some time, I also opted to not give her antibiotics. In fact, I didn't do anything...no flushing, no chlorhexidine, nothing. Over time new bone and keratin has covered up the hole, and she now lives in my outdoor pond.

 

[Anthony P]

Wow! That is the type of feedback I am looking for! What an interesting big of info.

I have seen many examples of chelonians losing parts of their carapace to trauma, however without compromising the coelomic membrane, which calcifies over time. What's weird about my girl Hope, is that this happened over time, and not through a trauma. Do you think your turtle's injury was due to trauma, or an extreme case of rot? I think that's what makes this so odd, since rot bad enough to penetrate the bone like that should cause a turtle to become septic pretty quickly.

This new skin she has grown really moves a ton. When she inhales, it fills the cavity completely, and when she exhales, it leaves a considerable open cavity in the shell. I just don't think this will calcify as the carapace injuries do, but your input is still extremely encouraging.

Do you breed Actinemys?

 

[Yvonne G]

No. It's against the law to have them here. It goes by the "limit" regulations, like your limit for fishing. The limit in California for the turtles is 0. But I have an M.O.U. with the Department of Fish and Game to be able to rescue them, rehab them and return them to the wild. Next time I see this turtle I'll get a picture for the thread. She's quite tame.

 

[Spn785]

Awesome stories! Thank you guys for sharing!

 

[jax7271]

I agree...these stories are incredible and give new meaning to the awesome adaptability of turtles and torts....

 

[Laura]

I would guess its a bird injury. crow or raven... jabbing and poking in one spot to get thru...
she looks good.
good luck!

 

[Spn785]

How is she doing?

 

[Anthony P]

Hi guys, happy to share.

It's not a bird injury. This was caused by shell rot that progressed over time, causing the hole through the plastron.

Turns out, she had much more rot under her scutes on her carapace as well. Most of it has been debrided, and seems to be healing very well. She really looks like a zombie turtle. I say "most" of it has been debrided, because it seems there is always more dead shell hiding somewhere.

She is still alive and kicking though. She is eating and active. It really is the most amazing thing you've ever seen in our life. It hurts a turtle person to see it, but I have learned so much that she has taught me and others.

 

[Anthony P]

Here is a photo of her carapace issue. More dead tissue had been removed, so the black area is actually bigger now, but it has been healing nicely since this photo was taken as well.

 

[Yvonne G]

I've been trying to catch the pond turtle that I talked about in my first post here, but she's a bit shy this spring. So I looked back through my Photobucket account and found this picture that I took of her last year:

As you can see, there was a pretty big hole on the top of her carapace...about the size between a quarter and half dollar. I think that Laura might have hit the nail on the head for this injury. And there is no corresponding injury on the plastron.


And...WOW!!! That poor turtle in your picture, Anthony! It's amazing what they can live through, and how resilient they are.

 

[Anthony P]

Wow.. I am very grateful to see this photo. I'm not surprised to hear she is shy, and am a lot more surprised to see how you caught her coming out of the water like that. She must have been hungry, haha.

How many PPTs do you have?

And thanks again for your input on this everyone

 

[EricIvins]

I've seen this in a few different species. Some recover, most do not. I couldn't tell you why the animals that didn't die from it recovered though...

From a science standpoint, it really has not been delved into and therefore has not been explained. From a personal standpoint, I think it has more to do with the animals mental state more than anything. Some seem to be programmed to live through just about anything....

 

[Yvonne G]

How many PPTs do you have?

I have an arrangement (M.O.U.) with the Department of Fish and Game that allows me to rehab and return the Actinemys marmorata to the wild. The ones that I feel are not good candidates to go back to nature end up in my pond. I have about 8 of them.

 

[Anthony P]

Wow! Very cool to hear. I wish you a lot of continued luck with them and that exciting operation. I'm sure you have saved so many.

Do you ever get any hatchlings from them?

 

[Millerlite]

Arnt pacific pond turtles a very big species?

 

[Anthony P]

No, they reach about 8 inches in SCL, with some topping out at sizes smaller than that.

 

[Yvonne G]

Wow! Very cool to hear. I wish you a lot of continued luck with them and that exciting operation. I'm sure you have saved so many.

Do you ever get any hatchlings from them?

No. I never see them nesting or nests hatching, and if babies get back into the pond, the big turtles eat them. I have large florida soft shells and a large Phrynops in the pond.

 

[Anthony P]

Well, maybe you should send some Actinemys to me

I am getting pretty good at caring for special needs Actinemys....