Jaw Repair

Often, turtles will fracture their jaw when hit on the road. These fractures can involve the upper jaw (maxilla) or lower jaw (mandible). The fracture is repaired under anesthetic using orthopedic wire drilled into the jaw and secured on the outside. 

Head Injuries

Head injures are very common in turtles hit on the road. This is especially the case for snapping turtles, as they cannot pull their head into their shell as other turtles can. This leaves the head more exposed and vulnerable to trauma. 

Eye Care

Turtles can suffer from the same eye problems as humans — cataracts, injury, blindness. When an injured turtle is brought into a center, the trauma team examines its eyes and fixes what can be fixed. It will be released only when the team is certain that it can see out of at least one eye.