Stunning X-rays give rare glimpse of London Zoo's 18,000 animals
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}ZSL London Zoo released a range of stunning images, including the one above, of Nasi, a big-headed turtle.
Talk about X-ray vision.
A group of stunning images released by ZSL London Zoo, taken during routine health checks of its 18,000 animals, give a rare look at the varying bone structure of several species, including frogs, snakes and turtles.
"We can tell so much about an animal's health from looking at an X-ray — from the strength of their bones to how healthy their heart is," ZSL London Zoo veterinary nurse Heather MacIntosh said in a statement.
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The health checks, carried out by the zoo's keepers and vets, involve weighing and measuring every resident of the zoo.
"They're vital to our work, and even though we get to see unique X-rays fairly often we still think that they're absolutely fascinating," she added.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MacIntosh explained that the zoo's keepers make training a part of each day's routine so that the animals are "unfazed" during checkups and X-rays.
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The image above depicts Cornelius, a corn snake, at the ZSL London Zoo.
"My favorite X-rays are definitely the snakes. Humans have 33 vertebrae while snakes have between 200 and 400, which is how they're so incredibly agile — it's amazing to see it on screen," MacIntosh said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The images were shared as part of Vets in Action, an event this week at ZSL London Zoo where families can learn about the work done by the zoo's employees.