Even though this little turtle only lived a few months, he or she was a brave and special turtle, and I wanted to share their story. It started, as all too many of the stories I tell do, with a turtle being hit by a car. The eastern painted turtle mother was on her way to lay eggs when she was struck by a vehicle. Thankfully, a good samaritan stopped and brought her into rehab. Unfortunately, there was no saving her. She was given pain medication and supportive care to ease her passing, but her injuries were just too grave. However, she was still gravid, and I was able to retrieve the eggs from her when she passed on shortly after arriving in rehab. These eggs were incubated, and a few of them hatched normally and were released. One of them, though, hatched much later than the others, and the turtle inside was…different. The plastron, or bottom shell, wasn’t closed all the way. I could literally see the baby’s internal organs and watch the heart beat.
This little turtle was also more flattened and rounded than its siblings, which is where it got its name, “Pancake”. Turtles born with significant defects like this one often don’t live very long, and unfortunately, Pancake was no exception. S/he was given special care, isolated from other turtles and kept in an extra-clean environment with no rough or sharp edges that could possibly tear the fragile membrane covering the hole in the turtle’s shell.
Over the few short months this turtle was in care, the shell did begin filling in, and Pancake was active and energetic, eating, pooping, swimming, and basking. However, s/he didn’t really grow, though that does make sense if you imagine that all the energy was being used to fix the shell hole. Kind of like premature human babies take longer to get to developmental milestones, since they started at a disadvantage so it takes some time to get caught up. Pancake was catching up, and seemed to be thriving.
However, one morning on my daily rounds, I went to feed Pancake and discovered them lifeless. There was no obvious cause like drowning or injury or infection, and given that these defects often have invisible components that make an animal’s condition incompatible with life, it’s not really surprising that eventually Pancake’s little body gave out. Still, s/he lived for a little over three months and I was just beginning to hope that eventually they might recover enough for either release or a full life as an educational ambassador. It was a sad day when I discovered Pancake had passed, but I wanted to share their story because each day while I had them, they were so full of spirit and gave me great joy to care for. Rest in peace, Pancake. You are missed.
Turtle Haven 