# Drilling holes in the carapace??? Are people insain?



## lvstorts (May 13, 2013)

Hi everyone,
I consider myself pretty versed in the world of tortoise health but this one caught me off guard!!

I was talking to a gal this weekend who purchased a Russian from a pet store in Iowa (10 years ago) with holes drilled into its carapace. According to her the pet store person said they are 'prone to respitroy infections' so they drill holes in the top to drain the lungs! That doesn't even make sense because gravity doesn't allow for drainage to go up! 

I was in absoult shock! I've never heard of this insanity! 

She felt horrible for the tortoise because it was in obvious pain and died within a year. 

Was this a standard at some point like drilling holes and attaching a least to keep them in yards?


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## Yvonne G (May 13, 2013)

It used to be quite common to drill tethering holes on the edge of the carapace right above a back leg. I guess people felt it was cheaper than building a pen. I still take in desert tortoises with the occasional hole in its shell. But above the lungs? That's just insane!


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## Joanne (May 13, 2013)

Urgh. My g'ma in law mentioned that tortoises had drilled shells to attach a tether. We were like, erm, no you don't do that now! They have feeling there... like if you drilled into your thumb nail!


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## Spn785 (May 13, 2013)

That is horrible! I have heard of people frilling a hole in the edge of the carapace to put a pet ID tag, which is also bad in my opinion, but not THAT!  Poor tortoises!


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## mctlong (May 13, 2013)

What?!?! That's the craziest excuse I've ever heard from a petstore for a damaged carapace. What?!! The gross stupidity boggles my mind. I'd think if the drill hit the lung, it would've collapsed or filled with blood pretty quick suffocating the animal almost instantly. 

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using TortForum mobile app


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## ScottishFish (May 13, 2013)

Yeah, thats pretty insane!

However my Grandmother did say that she had a tort when she was about 6yo so approx 60years ago and her father had drilled a hole in it to tie some string on so they could find it.


_'Or like the snow falls in the river,
A moment white, then melts forever'
*~Robert Burns - Tam O' Shanter*_

0.0.1 Testudo hermanni boettgeri


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## Millerlite (May 13, 2013)

Yeah it was common to leash them up don't want them to escape, just shows how far toetoise a turtle care has gone


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