An Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina) was hit by a car while crossing a road in Washington, D.C. this past August. The collision fractured the right side of her shell and exposed the lining of her body cavity. The injured turtle was brought to City Wildlife for treatment.
Veterinarians employed various medications, bandages, and wound care practices. A key component in her recovery was the use of equine placenta sourced from Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue. The cellular material of the placenta acted as a scaffolding, allowing the turtle’s own cells to migrate across the wound site. This process significantly accelerated the growth of new, healthy cells. As a result, the shell healing time was reduced from an estimated over one year to just over three months. City Wildlife reports the turtle will be ready for release in May 2025, once the weather is warmer. The organization expressed gratitude to its supporters and partners like Gentle Giants for making such success stories possible. Eastern box turtles are commonly victims of vehicle strikes, some of which are intentional. A 2013 Clemson University study placed a realistic rubber box turtle on a road and observed driver behavior. The study author counted seven drivers who deliberately swerved to hit the decoy, with more attempting but missing. Box turtles, including popular pet species like the eastern, three-toed, and ornate box turtles, are widely captive-bred. There are 14 North American and 12 Asian species. For pet ownership, captive-bred specimens are recommended as they are better acclimated to captivity and generally healthier than wild-caught turtles.
