1600 Ken Thompson Parkway
Sarasota, FL 34236
Ph: (941) 388-4441
Hours: 10AM - 5PM
A 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
Age Class | Juvenile |
Gender | Unknown |
Date Stranded | February 13, 2021 |
Location of Stranding | |
Date of Arrival | February 13, 2021 |
Number of Days of Care | 167 days |
Euthanized
02/13/2021 Turtle was found floating between Tripod and Shell Keys in Ten Thosand Islands, Collier County. "Shellkey" was transported to Mote. Upon arrival, animal had a physical exam, was weighed (13.7 kg), and had blood work done. Shellkey was given subcutaneous fluids and was put into a very shallow reab. pool.
02/14/2021 Shellkey did eat capelin and squid when offered.
02/15/2021 Shellkey was radiographed.. X-rays reveal genralized gas and distended bowel. Started oral antibiotic therapy to treat for the gas.
04/06/2021 Shellkey is active and continues to eat well. Animal is still positively buoyant though ("bubble butt"). Repeat radiographs show transection/fracture of the spine at the lumbosacral junction and a fracture with displacement of right hip. There also appears to be some free air at caudal lateral margin of left lung field which may attribute to the buoyancy issues. Blood values are improving and antibiotics were discontinued.
04/26/2021 Animal was anesthetized for surgical removal of fibropapilloma tumors and endoscopic sex determination. Shellkey is a male! Two small weights were attached to anima'ls carapace to help achieve neutral buoyancy in the water column.
05/10/2021 Shellkey is recovering well from surgery. Initially he remained positively buoyant, but now the weights on his carapace seem to be too heavy so they were replaced with one smaller one.
05/22/2021 Because of buoyancy issues, Shellkey is not a candidate for successful release into the wild. Mote personnel have begun hand-feeding the animal and getting him used to human contact. FWC will hopefully be able to find him a permanent home at a zoo or aquarium in the future.
07/17/2021 Shellkey remains active and has a good appetite. He was transported to Veterinary Surgery Center of Sarasota yesterday for a CT scan. Results are pending.
07/30/2021 Animal was euthanized due to poor prognosis. His tumors continued to regrow and buoyancy issues was not improved.
Throughout the month of March, Mote Aquarium experiences high daily visitation volume with many timed ticketed entry slots selling out. Guests are highly encouraged to purchase tickets in advance in order to guarantee entry.
Mote Aquarium is open seven days a week at our normal hours, 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. We hope to SEA you soon!