09/03/2025
Patient Spotlight 🐢
About a month ago, this adult male Eastern box turtle arrived at our clinic with a severely swollen rear leg. Box turtles get their name from their unique ability to “box up," tucking their head and limbs completely inside their shell for protection. In this case, the swelling prevented him from pulling in his leg, leaving him vulnerable to predators.
Upon the initial exam, we noticed a puncture-like wound. X-rays showed no fractures, so under sedation, our vet carefully explored the site and uncovered the cause: two bot fly (Cuterebra) larvae. Also called wolf worms or warbles, these parasites normally develop when adult flies lay eggs in the environment. In rare cases with reptiles—especially chelonians like box turtles—flies may deposit eggs directly on the host at a wound site. The larvae then burrow beneath the skin, creating painful swelling until they mature and drop out to pupate in the soil. Because Cuterebra typically infect mammals such as rodents, rabbits, cats, and dogs, finding them in a turtle is highly unusual, making this case especially noteworthy.
With anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, and daily physical therapy, this turtle has steadily improved. Just yesterday, he was able to fully close into his shell again, a huge milestone! He’s expected to make a full recovery and return to the wild in the coming weeks.
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