Cancel

gear Push settings

bars

homehome Home chatchat Notifications


This lucky tortoise can walk again thanks to a custom-built LEGO wheelchair

When it comes to human prosthetics, there are usually many options available – from simple frames or tools, to advanced, electronic prosthetics. But life isn’t as easy for turtles; such was the case of Blade, a German tortoise with a growth disorder that left his legs so weak that he couldn’t hold himself up. Now, thanks […]

Mihai Andrei
December 10, 2014 @ 9:56 am

share Share

When it comes to human prosthetics, there are usually many options available – from simple frames or tools, to advanced, electronic prosthetics. But life isn’t as easy for turtles; such was the case of Blade, a German tortoise with a growth disorder that left his legs so weak that he couldn’t hold himself up. Now, thanks to the ingenuity of this veterinarian, Blade can easily move around using a LEGO wheelchair.

Image by Action Press/REX

When Blade’s human companion, Iris Peste, noticed that the turtle couldn’t get around, he immediately went to the vet; there, a whole bunch of problems were uncovered, including a nasty worm and a debilitating growth disorder. The verdict was pretty grim – Blade won’t be able to walk for a long time.


But that’s where the good news starts. The doctor took it as a challenge, and he started to create a custom-fit solution. Without much time wasted, Dr. Carsten Plischke borrowed some LEGO blocks from her son and started to work. She was able to fit two sets of wheels to the underside of Blade’s shell so that he could then use his legs to propel him forward, basically moving around like in a belly wheel chair.

Image by Action Press/REX

With treatment and time, Blade will probably be able to move around normally, but until that, this is very creative and cheap solution to his problem. This serves as yet another reminder that if your pet has a similar problem, there are ways to help him move around. Dr Plischke said:

‘For people there are walkers, rollators or prostheses but for animals there are no companies that produce something like that’.

Images by Action Press/REX

share Share

This 5,500-year-old Kish tablet is the oldest written document

Beer, goats, and grains: here's what the oldest document reveals.

A Huge, Lazy Black Hole Is Redefining the Early Universe

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have discovered a massive, dormant black hole from just 800 million years after the Big Bang.

Did Columbus Bring Syphilis to Europe? Ancient DNA Suggests So

A new study pinpoints the origin of the STD to South America.

The Magnetic North Pole Has Shifted Again. Here’s Why It Matters

The magnetic North pole is now closer to Siberia than it is to Canada, and scientists aren't sure why.

For better or worse, machine learning is shaping biology research

Machine learning tools can increase the pace of biology research and open the door to new research questions, but the benefits don’t come without risks.

This Babylonian Student's 4,000-Year-Old Math Blunder Is Still Relatable Today

More than memorializing a math mistake, stone tablets show just how advanced the Babylonians were in their time.

Sixty Years Ago, We Nearly Wiped Out Bed Bugs. Then, They Started Changing

Driven to the brink of extinction, bed bugs adapted—and now pesticides are almost useless against them.

LG’s $60,000 Transparent TV Is So Luxe It’s Practically Invisible

This TV screen vanishes at the push of a button.

Couple Finds Giant Teeth in Backyard Belonging to 13,000-year-old Mastodon

A New York couple stumble upon an ancient mastodon fossil beneath their lawn.

Worms and Dogs Thrive in Chernobyl’s Radioactive Zone — and Scientists are Intrigued

In the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, worms show no genetic damage despite living in highly radioactive soil, and free-ranging dogs persist despite contamination.