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Tragically, we have sea turtles wash up on the beach here all the time. The ignorant fishermen kill them.
Several people have tried to salvage the shells but it is the stinkiest, foulest project ever. Never did get the stink out. They stink so bad on the beach, people bury them. Even the buzzards can't clean them fully.
I don't know if you want to handle your pet turtle in this fashion, but I agree with the past poster... you need to cut out most of the meat and get the organs out.
It's basically a top (carapace) and bottom (plastron) plate.
Not sure if boiling is a good idea (would it damage the shell?), but it would definitely remove the remaining tissue.
I would consider putting the remains in the backyard to let nature do the rest (after cutting).
I did not want to touch the dead turtle too much; cutting is out of the question. And I did not want to leave it rotting in open air because of the smell.
I ended up digging a hole 1.5' deep and buried the turtle in my yard. I put a paving stone over it so hopefully racoons will not dig it up. Will come back in a year to dig it up.
Had to hide the act from my wife. I guess this is what it feel like to be in mafia.
Bad idea. Boiling will soften and separate the keratin layers of the shell. They'll either peel, lift off the underlying bone, and curl up as they dry.
Last edited by Parnassia; 08-19-2022 at 02:43 PM..
I did not want to touch the dead turtle too much; cutting is out of the question. And I did not want to leave it rotting in open air because of the smell.
I ended up digging a hole 1.5' deep and buried the turtle in my yard. I put a paving stone over it so hopefully racoons will not dig it up. Will come back in a year to dig it up.
Depending on your climate and how wet the soils tends to stay, a year may be too long. Exposure to soil/soil moisture that long could also delaminate the keratin layers of the shell and discolor it. I'd dig it up much sooner, inspect it, and if necessary, re-bury it. Unrealistic to expect the shell to come out of the ground totally cleaned out.
Another idea. If you live near a university, you might call the biology department and ask whether they have a dermestid beetle colony. They do an excellent job clearing the flesh out of animal skulls/skeletons being prepared for display. Their colony might welcome a meal.
Depending on your climate and how wet the soils tends to stay, a year may be too long. Exposure to soil/soil moisture that long could also delaminate the keratin layers of the shell and discolor it. I'd dig it up much sooner, inspect it, and if necessary, re-bury it. Unrealistic to expect the shell to come out of the ground totally cleaned out.
Another idea. If you live near a university, you might call the biology department and ask whether they have a dermestid beetle colony. They do an excellent job clearing the flesh out of animal skulls/skeletons being prepared for display. Their colony might welcome a meal.
Yes
The beetles do good work in the name of science/anatomy
But think an ant hill would be about as good…
I did not want to touch the dead turtle too much; cutting is out of the question. And I did not want to leave it rotting in open air because of the smell.
I ended up digging a hole 1.5' deep and buried the turtle in my yard. I put a paving stone over it so hopefully racoons will not dig it up. Will come back in a year to dig it up.
Had to hide the act from my wife. I guess this is what it feel like to be in mafia.
That's probably the best play given all your constraints.
I found a dead snapping turtle in the creek near my house just based on being able to smell it from 100+ feet away.
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