Things are looking up for Cleopatra: The leopard tortoise now has a 3D-printed prosthesis to protect her deformed shell from further injury by other tortoises.
Cleopatra suffers from what is known as “pyramiding” or “peaking.” That means that rather than growing smoothly, her shell has developed raised sections.
Tortoises climb on each other when they play and mate, and their weight is normally distributed evenly. But interacting with other tortoises left Cleopatra’s deformed shell worn through in spots, leaving her susceptible to bacteria and infections.
“I knew something had to be done,” Nico Novelli, the owner of Canyon Critters Reptile Rescue in Golden, Colorado, told The Huffington Post.
Her prosthetic shell was designed by Roger Henry, a Colorado Technical University student and U.S. Air Force veteran. The 3D Printing Store in Denver assisted with scanning and building the shell.
“This is a very good feeling,” Henry told The Denver Post. He spent hundreds of hours perfecting the design so it would fit exactly on Cleopatra’s shell… see more
source: huffingtonpost
Tags: 3d printer, Science, Tortoise
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