2024-07-31 21:43:49
The animal was spotted by a dog walker in the shallow waters of a lake.
A rare species of turtle has been found in Urswick Tarn, near the town of Ulverston (England, United Kingdom).
This is an alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii), native to swamps and rivers in the southern United States, which is characterized by its creepy appearance.
The animal, named Fluffy, was spotted by a local dog walker in the shallow waters of Urswick Tarn.
After spotting the exotic creature bathing in the water, the man asked others for help identifying it via social media, The Guardian reported.
This is how the publication came to Denise Chamberlaina parish councillor for Urswick who breeds turtles, who immediately recognised the distinctive carnivorous species.
“I looked at it and immediately thought, ‘Oh my God, I know what you are. ’ I’ve seen snapping turtles in the wild, but on a much larger scale. They grow to weigh around 30 pounds and can snap their fingers.”Chamberlain said.
According to local press reports, it is not illegal to keep these types of animals as pets, so One possible hypothesis suggests that the turtle was thrown into the lake by a former owner.
After confirming their presence at the scene, Chamberlain organized a rescue effort and made several calls. “These species are invasive, they are not native, and I knew that it would alter the ecology of the lake, which is very balanced.”
However, she was unable to get the necessary help and decided to rescue the turtle herself, even though she would never have done something like that before.
The rescuer later took the reptile home to check that it was not injured and gave it some raw chicken, then took it to the vet.
As reported The GuardianThe snapping turtle will be relocated on Monday to a reptile center, where it will be placed in warmer waters to speed up its metabolism.
By: NTN 24