The strangest turtle ever?

This oddly deformed turtle was given to us a few days ago after it was seen floating around just off Santa Maria.  It had lost two of its flippers, possibly in a shark attack and clearly could no longer swim.  The malformations included a really a shorterned, heart-shaped carapace which curved upwards at the edge, particularly at the rear and a large hump in the middle.

The veterinarian who examined the turtle suggested that the main cause was a calcium deficiency which may have been due to poor nutrition.


In Cabo Verde many people keep turtles at home, often in sweet water rather than salt and feed them an inappropriate diet.  A lack of sunlight and being kept in a small container would also be a contributing factor.  It is possible that this turtle became a victim of this practice.




Unfortunately its injuries were too severe for it to survive.


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