Snapper Turtle Goes through 10 Cigarettes a Day

Incoming! Holy smokes...it's you! Nice to see you today! How's it going? Pour some smokin' hot coffee into your mug and use it to wash down a virtual treat while I tell you about how a turtle got itself addicted to cigarettes. Hmmm...

According to Chinese media reports, in a village on the outskirts of Changchun lives a nicotine-addicted alligator snapper turtle who smokes around 10 cigarettes a day. The turtle’s keeper says that whenever it feels the need for a smoke, the reptile becomes agitated and starts to hiss.

So how does a turtle become addicted to cigarettes? A local chef, surnamed Tang, who is helping his boss take care of it, says it all started about two months ago when he noticed the pet had lost interest in its daily fish diet. After inspecting the reptile, he noticed there was a sharp chicken bone lodged in its soft belly, but when he tried to pull it out, it snapped at his hand from the pain, nearly biting off his fingers. 

Tang realized the only way he could take out the bone was to distract the turtle, so he took the lit cigarette that was resting in his mouth and gave it to the pet to bite on. Its jaws snapped on the filter and didn’t let go for hours. His idea proved effective, as he managed to remove the sharp chicken bone, but little did the cook know it would lead to an even bigger problem. 

I wonder if they have a nicotine patch big enough for a snapper? Don't try to kick the habit or you're likely to lose a couple of toes.  

See ya, eh!

Bob