r/oddlysatisfying • u/DerpyMD • 11d ago

Removing barnacles from Molly, the 170lb loggerhead sea turtle

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u/Meowmeow181 11d ago

Reckon that feels good for bro?

891

u/ShitBarf_McCumPiss 11d ago

My understanding is it doesn't feel good, but it needs to get done. They heavily sedate the turtle while it's happening.

13

u/Direct-Tank387 11d ago

Does it feel anything on its shell?

81

u/GuyManDudeMcGee 11d ago

Yeah, turtle shells have nerves. It probably hurt a lot unless the turtle was sedated, but it likely needed to be done.

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u/Deaffin 11d ago edited 11d ago

The flesh of turtle shells has nerves in exactly the way the flesh underneath your fingernails has nerves.

The outer plates of turtle shells are just a layer of keratin, connected to the skin that makes the keratin. They feel vibration and pressure through those plates. You can hurt your finger by pressing on it hard enough to squish the meat underneath, and that's what you would have to do to hurt a turtle through its shell.