Unusual damage to wild turtle shell - What could cause this??

[Dark_Morelia]

Bull Sharks can definitely get into lakes! > click! <

 

[smeejason]

I have seen pigs up north eating turtles they catch out of the water. I have sat watching a big boar completely destroy a large turtle in about 10 minutes. We watched him catch it and crunch it to pieces. He then got an arrow thru his shoulders for punishment but that is another story.

 

[PhilK]

Definitely a bull shark I reckon. I have seen them very very far upstream - where I thought I'd never see a shark and past numerous weirs.

There probably isn't one in that little lake - turtles move around I'd say it got chomped in the past when it didn't live there

 

[Bluetongue1]

I would not assume that the turtle has spent all its days in the lake or that all injuries were incurred at one time.

The nature of the injuries is also consistent with mechanical damage as would be inflicted by a rotating blade. As suggested by Python Legs, possibly an outboard motor in Bulimba Creek. Or maybe a slasher being used for clearing firebreaks or the like in the park land.

Whichever, they most certainly happened some good time ago. You have you give the critter credit for not only having the toughness to survive having a leg torn off and her side split open, but also the grit to continue to function effectively minus a leg, an eye and most digits on one foot. One tough survivor!

Blue

 

[Raymonde]

Whichever, they most certainly happened some good time ago. You have you give the critter credit for not only having the toughness to survive having a leg torn off and her side split open, but also the grit to continue to function effectively minus a leg, an eye and most digits on one foot. One tough survivor!

Blue

I know, i am always impressed with turtles that have survived major injuries, this turtle certainly wasn't the only one missing a leg, i have found 10 turtle around Brisbane missing a leg, and a 8 others that had damage to the tail. Particularly females missing hind legs must have a hard time digging a hole to nest in.... But they must manage it some how. For all of them they were either old injuries or well on the way to healing, and they all seemed to be able to craw around ok and swam of normally. I guess its like three legged dogs, they learn to adapt.

 

[BigWillieStyles]

Looks like an outboard motor injury to me

 

[Aussie-Pride]

Looks like an outboard motor injury to me

agreed.

I don't think it was a bull shark I have the jaw of a bull shark in my freshie aquarium and the teeth on a bullshark are to small to make puncture marks that large and that spaced out and there's also no bottom jaw marks