Five Eastern Box Turtles at the Wildlife Center are preparing for release — after many months of treatment and care.  

Box turtles are some of the species admitted to the Wildlife Center that require the lengthiest treatment.  All five of these turtles are patients from 2010 — their admission dates range from August to December.  Most came in with serious injuries and were unable to recover in time to return to their territories before winter. 

Instead, they spent the long, cold winter in the Wildlife Center’s reptile room — a  warm room specially set up to keep our reptile patients active and healing.

Now that the spring temperatures are really warming up, the WCV staff are preparing the turtles for release.  The group includes:

Eastern Box Turtle #10-1850:  This turtle was found in Fork Union in Fluvanna County, Virginia on August 23, 2010.  The turtle was taken to permitted wildlife rehabilitator Deb Pupa, who in turn transferred the turtle to the Wildlife Center.  The turtle had a fractured leg and an injured elbow.  After months of bandaging and treatment, the turtle regained the use of its leg. Days in treatment:  270+

Eastern Box Turtle #10-2098:  Weekend receptionist Kate Guenther found this box turtle on the road in Churchville in early October 2010.  He had multiple shell fractures — at least five big fractures all over his upper and lower shells.  With so many pieces of shell to stabilize and keep in place, the vets used many different materials and techniques to patch the turtle back together.  Though the WCV does not name patients that we treat, this turtle did manage to earn the nickname “franken-turtle” after he was stabilized!  After many months of healing, box turtle #10-2098’s last bar was removed in mid-March.  Days in treatment:  224+

Eastern Box Turtle #10-2160:  This tiny box turtle was found at the end of October 2010 – right here at the Wildlife Center!  Wildlife Rehabilitator Dani Stumbo was assisting with an Hospital and Habitat program that day.  As she was hiking with her group of Boy Scouts through the nearby George Washington & Jefferson National Forests, one young scout spotted the injured turtle.   Staff suspected that the turtle was hibernating and was inadvertently dug up when the local power company came to trim trees — the turtle also had a shell fracture over the carapace [upper shell]. 

Custom-made bars were created to stablize the tiny turtle’s fracture.  After several months of healing, the bars were removed in mid-January.  While still quite small, this little turtle managed to nearly double in weight while at the WCV this winter!  Days in treatment:  202+

Eastern Box Turtle: #10-2170:  This turtle was admitted to the Wildlife Center in early November.  The turtle was completely healthy — it was just picked up and kept as a pet for two months before being brought to the Wildlife Center.   Since returning the turtle to the wild in November wasn’t an option, it wintered at the Wildlife Center instead.  Days in treatment:  199+

Eastern Box Turtle: #10-2274:  This box turtle was the last to arrive in 2010 — she was admitted in mid-December.  While this is far too late to typically expect a turtle admission, this turtle was actually taken from the wild in 2008 and kept as a pet.  While she does show signs of metabolic bone disease from improper nutrition, the turtle can still draw herself up into her shell — an important task for any box turtle. 

Fortunately, her original location of pick-up is known, so she will be able to be released into the wild.  The WCV rehab staff have been careful to introduce her to natural food sources and have observed her finding her food in her turtle enclosure.  Days in treatment:  151+

All of these turtles should be released within the next week — just in time for World Turtle Day!

Your donation will help support the Center’s work with patients like these turtles … and with 2,300 other wild animals in need.