Hard to swallow but tortoise ate turtle charm

The source of a sick tortoise’s discomfort became clear after a Florida vet took an X-ray: It had swallowed a turtle pendant.

Dr Don Harris said the 6.8kilo male African spurred tortoise named Lola hadn’t pooped for a month and began acting sick. Lola’s owner brought him to an animal centre in Miami, which Harris co-owns.

After an X-ray, Harris spotted the small, turtle-shaped object. Lola’s owner said she didn’t recognise it, but Harris said tortoises weren’t fussy about what they ate, consuming rocks and other objects too. Harris is keeping Lola at his clinic, trying to get the pendant to pass. If that fails, surgery may follow.