Tortoise born with deformity gets around on mini skateboard wheels

Aug. 16 (UPI) -- A Delaware man used some mini skateboard wheels to teach a tortoise born with an unusual deformity to walk.

Randy Betz, who works as a medical sales consultant, said he recently started a side business helping people hatch tortoise eggs, and one of the animals recently came out with its back legs pointing upward instead of downward.

"I'm around spine deformity all the time, and this little guy has some sort of turtle-related spina bifida," Betz told WPVI-TV.

Betz said the tortoise, dubbed Helix, was in danger of being euthanized, as he was unable to walk. He said he was inspired by a mini skateboard to come up with a different solution.

"I took some glue, some superglue, and I glued it right on the back end of it," he said.

He said Helix has now learned to walk by using his front legs to pull his wheels.

"Very heartwarming to see him as happy as he was able to move around," Betz said.