Slow and steady! Register receives reptilian wanderer
One perilous road crossing later, a painted turtle gets a photoshoot on the Register lawn. STEVE EDWARDS/Boothbay Register
A genetic anomaly is responsible for the unique zigzag pattern on our visitor's back! ISABELLE CURTIS/Boothbay Register
The bilateral symmetry found on typical painted turtle shells. Courtesy of Pam Meier
STEVE EDWARDS/Boothbay Register
One perilous road crossing later, a painted turtle gets a photoshoot on the Register lawn. STEVE EDWARDS/Boothbay Register
A genetic anomaly is responsible for the unique zigzag pattern on our visitor's back! ISABELLE CURTIS/Boothbay Register
The bilateral symmetry found on typical painted turtle shells. Courtesy of Pam Meier
STEVE EDWARDS/Boothbay Register
The Boothbay Register got an unexpected reptilian visitor Friday, Aug. 29. The painted turtle was first spotted crossing Union Street and was ushered safely to the other side by Register employee Robin Ford.
With concern about the turtle’s presence in a business area and the absence of a clear fresh water source, a call was made to local animal control services. The Register was then connected to Pam Meier of The Turtle’s Back, a turtle rescue and rehabilitation center based in Waldoboro.
From a provided photo, Meier noted the turtle’s shell was a zig-zag pattern, rather than the typical bilateral symmetry. “It’s a really neat genetic anomaly," she said.
Upon her recommendation, the turtle was safely deposited in the grass behind the Register to find their way home.
