While many people may think painting the shells of turtles and tortoises is harmless fun, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wants to remind everyone that the activity has serious consequences.
While many people may think that painting the shells of turtles and tortoises is harmless fun, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wants to remind everyone that the activity has serious consequences.
In a recent Facebook post, the conservation group notes, "You can paint your house, a piece of furniture, a canvas, or even your own fingernails or toenails, but you should never paint the shells of turtles and gopher tortoises! While to you it may seem harmless, painting the shells of turtles and tortoises can severely compromise their health — the paint can hinder their ability to absorb vitamins they need from the sun, cause respiratory problems, allow toxic chemicals into the bloodstream and more."
It is also against the law to paint a gopher tortoise shell in the state of Florida.
Many Facebook users responded to the department's post and agreed with the message, with Kevin Hulick noting, "Just leave them alone. Period. If people want to paint something, they should get a pet rock. If I know of someone painting a turtle, I may just get the urge to take a can of spray paint and do a little art work on their car."
