The reptile in the alligator snapping turtle family naturally belongs in swamps and rivers in southern parts of the United States. But this month one of them was in a body of water in Cumbria county in England, where the temperature has been between 0 and 11 degrees so far in February. Can bite through bones After becoming aware of the reptile at Urswick Tarn via social media, parish councilor Denise Chaimberlain took it upon herself to fish the turtle out of the water, the BBC reports. She has previously lived in Florida, and therefore recognized the species. The alligator turtle has a field-like growth on its tongue which it uses as an oar to catch fish, writes Store norske lexikon. Photo: Wild Side Vets According to the Great Norwegian Lexicon, the alligator snapping turtle has a hot temper and “can easily bite off a human’s finger”. Chamberlain used three pairs of thick gloves and a shopping basket to fish out the snappy turtle. – I was worried on several levels. One was to catch it without losing a finger, and in addition it was to find out what I was going to do with it, the parish councilor tells the BBC. First for the vet The temporary solution was the vet Wild Side Vets in Barrow-in-Furness. Veterinarian Dom Moule tells Sky News that they were very surprised to see a turtle of this type. It is the first for the veterinary clinic, the clinic manager confirms to news. Named Fluffy Fluffy is still too young to know the gender for sure, but was named because one of Moule’s colleagues thought it was quite cute and deserved a cute name. According to SNL, alligator snapping turtles are widespread in the southeastern United States, especially in the Mississippi drainage basin. Photo: Wild Side Vets – At its current size, it is not very dangerous to humans, but it can give you a nasty bite! Emphasizes vet and manager of Wild Side Wets, Kate Hornby. She tells news that a fully grown turtle of this type can weigh up to 80 kilos and definitely cause great damage. Dumped animal The vets suspect that Fluffy has been bought as a pet and then dumped when the owners realized how demanding it is to care for this type of turtle, or how big it was getting. – Since these turtles do not belong in the UK and are not used to the cold temperature, it may not have survived, Hornby points out. Alligator turtles are some of the world’s largest freshwater turtles. The dorsal shield is strong and equipped with a cooler with knobs. Photo: Wild Side Vets She states that such turtles usually eat vegetation, fish and other animals that live in water. It can therefore pose a threat to the local environment. – I am sure that if it had remained, it would have been invasive and eaten everything in the water, says veterinarian Moule to the BBC. Doing well It is not illegal to own alligator snapping turtles in England, but vets do not recommend it because they are difficult to care for. – We recommend anyone who finds that they are unable to take care of a pet to contact their local vet or relocation center for advice, instead of dumping them, emphasizes Hornby. She adds that Fluffy is now doing well and that on Wednesday he will be transferred to a center that specializes in rescuing animals.
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Fluffy the alligator turtle rescued – can bite through bones – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
