anatomy with graphic pictures added

[Alan1]

Hey rodneyvet that is truly fascinating! I didn't know they could lay fertile eggs a couple of years down the line and I'm amazed at the lolly stick not being the cause of death, how on earth did it manage to swallow an object like that??

And thanks for shelling out for the tests too

[Geomyda]

Very interesting. The lolly stick was injested shortly before the death?

[rodneyvet]

could have been ingested a long time before.

[sandy]

Thankyou Mark for such an interesting thread. The first time I have seen the insides for real of a tortoise (apart from the bits that will come out:0) ) and its so informative.

[Geomyda]

Obviously kidney failure is heard of as a reasonably common cause of death in Old tortoises, this one looked like she had been in captivity for a considerable time. Is this indicative of an ageing process do you think, or is it a sign of problems in husbandry?
I am amazed, that the lolly stick had not done more damage, or caused impaction. That said, I have seen quite large pieces of rubber and plastic pass right through the ailimentary tract of a Snapping Turtle, without causing apparent harm to the animal.
Once again thanks for this post, it is very interesting and helps I am sure many of us to understand more about these creatures.

[Laraine]

WOW! the photos are really amazing! Thank you for posting them, I for one always wonder how it all fits inside the shell. Drawings are informative in their way, but the photos really show the true picture, so to speak.

[Bindi]

You took the words right out of my mouth Larraine, that was amazing, it all makes far more sense than seeing drawings.
I find that completely awesome. Now I want to see a tortoise operation, is that weird? And what about that lolly stick?????

[dugy]

.....amazing....

[Lolly8]

Very interesting.And good lesson.Amazing photos,so clear.

[Zen]

Thanks Mark, thats really interseting, just been trying to imagine how on earth it swallowd that lolly stick!