UK Press: Another Version

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The Tortoise Forum ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by WvP on November 23, 2000 at 06:11:59:

In Reply to: Oz Press: UK Vet attaches toy wheels to paraplegic tortoise posted by Wes von Papine? on November 22, 2000 at 06:39:00:

THE GUARDIAN (London, UK) 23 November 00
Lego wheels for overfed tortoise

Martin Wainwright

A cure for the modern life of luxury which is crippling hundreds of pet tortoises has been found by a vet, with the help of his children's toys.
The vet has stuck Lego wheels on to the shells of tortoises to get the grounded reptiles moving again, in an operation in Leeds where up to 10 similar applications could be carried out in the next year.

Stuart McArthur, who specialises in tortoises, and who searched for ideas in Darwin's work, Voyage of the Beagle, and Gilbert White's diary of Timothy, the pet tortoise of Selborne, said yesterday: "I tried a very large range of Lego wheels to get the right combination of size and balance."

Yesterday, Mr McArthur completed his second successful operation, on a 2kg pet that had been unable to move properly. Its wheels, which were fixed with a powerful glue, have independent suspension to help cornering, and promise to counter the effects of too much well-intentioned pampering.

Mr McArthur warned that what he was doing should not be tried by pet keepers themselves and that it was for incapacitated animals only.

"We see some tortoise hatchlings which are just too well looked after when young. As a result, they get too heavy at a time when their carapace is still soft and forming. It sets too low [producing too deep a shell] and they have great difficulty moving - an awful prospect, when a tortoise can live for 100 years."

The operation could help tortoises with spinal injuries, including the female operated on yesterday whose back legs were too damaged to let her struggle along. Only a small number would need this treatment, Mr McArthur stressed, and it was no substitute for correct care and feeding.

Tortoises, in fact, are used to moving fairly fast occasionally - and particularly when on heat, as Gilbert White observed in June 1780. "Timothy's exertions are remarkable, walking on tiptoe and stirring at five in the morning. His fancy becomes intent on sexual attachments, which transport him beyond his usual gravity and induce him to forget for a time his usual solemn deportment."

http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,401562,00.html

Follow Ups:

Post a Followup

Name:
E-Mail:

Subject:

Comments:
: THE GUARDIAN (London, UK) 23 November 00 : Lego wheels for overfed tortoise : Martin Wainwright : A cure for the modern life of luxury which is crippling hundreds of pet tortoises has been found by a vet, with the help of his children's toys. : The vet has stuck Lego wheels on to the shells of tortoises to get the grounded reptiles moving again, in an operation in Leeds where up to 10 similar applications could be carried out in the next year. : Stuart McArthur, who specialises in tortoises, and who searched for ideas in Darwin's work, Voyage of the Beagle, and Gilbert White's diary of Timothy, the pet tortoise of Selborne, said yesterday: "I tried a very large range of Lego wheels to get the right combination of size and balance." : Yesterday, Mr McArthur completed his second successful operation, on a 2kg pet that had been unable to move properly. Its wheels, which were fixed with a powerful glue, have independent suspension to help cornering, and promise to counter the effects of too much well-intentioned pampering. : Mr McArthur warned that what he was doing should not be tried by pet keepers themselves and that it was for incapacitated animals only. : "We see some tortoise hatchlings which are just too well looked after when young. As a result, they get too heavy at a time when their carapace is still soft and forming. It sets too low [producing too deep a shell] and they have great difficulty moving - an awful prospect, when a tortoise can live for 100 years." : The operation could help tortoises with spinal injuries, including the female operated on yesterday whose back legs were too damaged to let her struggle along. Only a small number would need this treatment, Mr McArthur stressed, and it was no substitute for correct care and feeding. : Tortoises, in fact, are used to moving fairly fast occasionally - and particularly when on heat, as Gilbert White observed in June 1780. "Timothy's exertions are remarkable, walking on tiptoe and stirring at five in the morning. His fancy becomes intent on sexual attachments, which transport him beyond his usual gravity and induce him to forget for a time his usual solemn deportment." : http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,401562,00.html

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL:

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The Tortoise Forum ] [ FAQ ]