The only known uricotelic chelonian is the desert tortoise, which likely evolved it recently as adaptation to desert habitats.

The normal, healthy chelonian should resist restraint and a hallmark of good health is a patient that attempts to escape.

Normal, healthy chelonians tend to be bright, alert and very strong, making them extremely challenging to restrain.

First, it may be possible to simply grasp the head of a small, debilitated chelonian firmly behind the mandibles (Fig 8).

CLINICAL TIP: To keep your chelonian patient in one place, simply lift all four feet off of the ground with a bowl or towel (Fig 7).

To minimize the risk of zoonotic exposure, wear disposable gloves whenever possible and always wash hands thoroughly after handling a chelonian.

This puts him just one year away from the title of oldest chelonian ever, currently held by Tu'i Malila, a radiated tortoise that reached at least 188 years old.

This puts him just one year away from the title of oldest chelonian ever, currently held by Tu’i Malila, a radiated tortoise that reached at least 188 years old.

In 2009, he created the African Chelonian Institute to expand turtle research, captive breeding, and the reintroduction of all African turtle species to the wild.

He quit his job at the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Program and took up the cause for the considerably less charismatic chelonian because, as he puts it, “someone must do something to help this species.