'No words': Florida gopher tortoise found with airbrush painted shell
"Sometimes honestly, we have NO WORDS for what people do to animals for their entertainment," Owl's Nest Sanctuary for Wildlife wrote on Facebook.
Someone painted a wild tortoise
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AmandaF
Well-Known Member
That is awful, there are no words strong enough
Disgusting!
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I have no idea why any idiot would do this.
I posted a few years ago about finding a neon spray painted Gopher tortoise walking through the gas station in my neighborhood.
It's rediculous
I posted a few years ago about finding a neon spray painted Gopher tortoise walking through the gas station in my neighborhood.
It's rediculous
I have no idea why any idiot would do this.
I really do wonder what would make such a fool do this.
What a jerk!
I wish this was safe for gopher tortoises, it would probably help save a few of them. I have thought about some way to make them more visible to drivers. Paint, or maybe a small flag on a flexible rod that bends down when they go in their burrow. There will always be people that run them over on purpose but most people aren't paying attention or or just too oblivious to notice them.
When I first moved to Florida 20+ years ago there were probably 10-15 gopher tortoises that I would see on my drive to work. I have stopped to move them off the road countless times, I have also seen them run over right in front of me on several occasions. Today there are only 1 or 2 that have survived the cars along the route. The route to our new house passed through an area that had several tortoises, they were all lost when they added a curb and sidewalk on the road. They couldn't climb the curb and would get run over trying or I suspect they would drop into the storm drains when pacing the curb line.
It really is a sad situation for these guys. There was a push to get the eastern population on the ESA but it was rejected a few months ago.
When I first moved to Florida 20+ years ago there were probably 10-15 gopher tortoises that I would see on my drive to work. I have stopped to move them off the road countless times, I have also seen them run over right in front of me on several occasions. Today there are only 1 or 2 that have survived the cars along the route. The route to our new house passed through an area that had several tortoises, they were all lost when they added a curb and sidewalk on the road. They couldn't climb the curb and would get run over trying or I suspect they would drop into the storm drains when pacing the curb line.
It really is a sad situation for these guys. There was a push to get the eastern population on the ESA but it was rejected a few months ago.
This is so sad to see. 
Years ago a new member posted quite cheerfully that she and her kids had been painting wild tortoises, which I questioned because it's not something I'd heard of anyone doing, only that it was bad for the torts. She responded with abuse because she said I was questioning the traditions of her area of America. I apologised to her and tried to persuade her to stay and she also apologised later after other members welcomed her stuck up for me.
Years ago a new member posted quite cheerfully that she and her kids had been painting wild tortoises, which I questioned because it's not something I'd heard of anyone doing, only that it was bad for the torts. She responded with abuse because she said I was questioning the traditions of her area of America. I apologised to her and tried to persuade her to stay and she also apologised later after other members welcomed her stuck up for me.
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It was never mentioned in the article but I was thinking the unnatural colors would be very bad for camouflage. I am not really sure but I have my doubts painting a tortoise once with paint is gonna cause much harm. It is cruel and stupid and I am not saying it's OK in any way but ruining the natural camouflage is what jumped out at me as the most likely thing to cause harm. I can't imagine what the painter was thinking doing this.
Get that crap off of that tortoise it's an emergency right away nowView attachment 353090'No words': Florida gopher tortoise found with airbrush painted shell
"Sometimes honestly, we have NO WORDS for what people do to animals for their entertainment," Owl's Nest Sanctuary for Wildlife wrote on Facebook.www.fox35orlando.com
DoubleD1996!
Well-Known Member
It henders them from taking in the suns rays as well. Alot of people don't understand that turtles have nerves in the shell; their spines are literally attached to it. They can even feel when a mosquito sticks his proboscis between the scoots to suck blood.
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