TECA 0228

This eastern box turtle had a large hole in the carapace, exposing the lungs. Turtles have a carapace, plastron, and a bridge connecting the two. The carapace is on the top and the plastron is on the bottom. I like to tell people that the plastron is "plastered" to the ground. She came in over the summer of 2021. Pictures were taken to record her healing progress. The picture on the left was taken pretty early in her recovery process, while the picture on the right was taken closer to her release date. While her recovery was a success, it was not an easy road for her. She developed "fuzzies" in her wound at one point, which was addressed with antifungal medication. She also suffered from an ear infection that was also treated. With a multitude of bandaging, medical treatments, and laser therapy she was released after 148 days in rehabilitation. For Eastern box turtles, it is extremely important that they are released where they are found. Box turtles maintain a set territory and, thanks to their internal GPS, they actively try to get back there. If released in a strange place, they may try to cross a road or other hazard to get back to their territory.