{"id":784968,"date":"2026-09-28T05:34:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T05:34:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/784968\/"},"modified":"2026-09-28T05:34:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T05:34:12","slug":"shockingly-blue-turtle-discovered-in-kentucky-backyard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/784968\/","title":{"rendered":"Shockingly blue turtle discovered in Kentucky backyard"},"content":{"rendered":"

When a Kentucky woman purchased a home in the town of Campbellsville, she had no idea that she would also be taking in an unexpected animal: an Eastern box turtle<\/a> (Terrapene carolina carolina) with a bright blue shell.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Of course, the color wasn\u2019t natural. She soon learned from one of her new neighbors that one of the house\u2019s previous residents painted turtles around the property, licensed wildlife rehabilitator Tonya Poindexter<\/a> tells Popular Science.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"aThe Eastern box turtle was found at a home in Campbellsville, Kentucky. Image: Wilderness Trail Wildlife Center. <\/p>\n

The homeowner contacted Poindexter\u2019s Wilderness Trail Wildlife Center<\/a> in London, Kentucky and their team collected the colorful turtle, and then drove it around two hours for a check-up There, the team realized that the adult female turtle also had a layer of red on her shell beneath the blue. In other words, it seems like she received a paint job more than once. To make matters worse, the seemingly oil-based paint is exceptionally touch, layered, and difficult to remove, says Poindexter.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cPutting paints and chemicals that were never intended for an animal onto that shell is simply not something we should be doing to wildlife,\u201d she explains, emphasizing that a shell is part of the turtle\u2019s body and skeletal system and it grows and mends itself along with its owner.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s also a very important survival issue for a wild Eastern box turtle: camouflage.<\/p>\n

Their natural brown, yellow and orange patterns blend beautifully with leaves, soil and the dappled forest floor,\u201d she continues. \u201cThat\u2019s part of their protection. Covering that natural camouflage with bright blue or red paint can make an animal that normally almost disappears into its surroundings stand out dramatically.\u201d<\/p>\n

This lack of camouflage, among other reasons, Poindexter to decide not to release the painted turtle back into the wild, even though she is otherwise healthy. Instead, the team is slowly and carefully removing the unwanted decoration in small areas at a time. At the beginning of each session, they soak the turtle in warm water and then use a soft toothbrush and Dawn dish soap.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For the areas that are tougher to clean, they used small amounts of mineral spirits to help loosen the paint while keeping some airflow on her face to make sure she\u2019s not breathing in concentrated fumes. Afterwards, they wash the area with dish soap and rinse it thoroughly.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"aThe paint is starting to come off of the turtle\u2019s shell. Image: Wilderness Trail Wildlife Center<\/p>\n

\u201cThis isn\u2019t something I recommend people try themselves,\u201d Poindexter highlights. \u201cSolvents can be irritating and potentially harmful. If someone finds a wild turtle covered in paint, glue, tar or another chemical, I would recommend contacting an experienced licensed wildlife rehabilitator or veterinarian rather than experimenting with chemicals or trying to scrape it off.\u201d<\/p>\n

To her credit, the turtle has been a good sport about her rehabilitation<\/a>. Once the team has decided that the paint has been sufficiently removed, the homeowner, who volunteered to come get her again, will return the patient where she was found.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d love for people to remember one simple thing from her story: Eastern box turtles are already beautifully painted\u2014by nature,\u201d Poindexter reminds us.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\"2026\t\t\t<\/p>\n

2026 Popular Science Home of the Future Awards<\/p>\n

39 products that will improve your everyday life.<\/p>\n

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Margherita is a trilingual freelance science writer.<\/p>\n

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