Snapping Turtle Found With Lopsided Shell Gets CT Scan
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- At this time of year, snapping turtles are usually at the bottom of ponds, waiting for winter to end.
But one was found on top of a pond last month in St. Louis Park.
The 17-pound turtle's shell was lopsided, so the veterinarians at BluePearl Veterinary Partners wanted to see if something was wrong.
On Wednesday, the turtle underwent a CT scan in Eden Prairie. Staff at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center had to cover the male turtle's head to keep him still.
"The radiograph showed a suspicious area of the lungs, so that's why we are going after the CT scan to get some details," said Renee Schoot of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. "This way we can tell if he's sick or if he came up because of the weather."
The center hopes the turtle can be released back into the wild in the spring.