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Uncategorized Thursday, July 21st 2011 at 10:39 am

Tortoise Has Leg Replaced With Swivel Wheel, is Doing Fine

Not quite as adorable or as endearing as the dog with four prosthetic legs, but still pretty adorable and endearing, the above tortoise, named Gamera, sustained severe thermal injury and tissue damage from an unknown source. The 12-year-old African spur-thighed tortoise had the damaged leg amputated up to the shoulder at Washing State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and replaced with a swivel wheel — basically, one of those wheels commonly found on the bottom of office chairs. Don’t worry, the wheel wasn’t drilled into the turtle, but was attached to its shell with an epoxy adhesive. As a precaution, Gamera was given a feeding tube in order to keep his nutrition up, and he has gained three pounds since before the procedure took place. The little guy seems to be doing fine. Check out a video of him rolling around and eating some grass below.

(WSU Today via Obvious Winner)

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  • M Alex

    The staten island zoo used to have a tortoise on a skateboard

  • http://twitter.com/assi9 Assi9

    I made a demotivational poster based off of this little guy! :D  http://twitpic.com/5tn73r

  • http://twitter.com/assi9 Assi9

    I made a demotivational poster based off of this little guy! :D  http://twitpic.com/5tn73r

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Z4CJFSWSF6NJQ2QO56FEBHKHJM K

    All I have to wonder is….where was Timmy?  Where was Timmy when Gamera lost its leg?!

  • Anonymous
  • FalconRiderDK

    why not just put 4 swivel wheel under the tortoise, it’ll go faster. And it may beat the Rabbit “Andy”.

  • Robert Butler

    Why didn’t they just give him a robotic arm?  Then he’d be like Gamera + Giant Robot!