A snapping turtle in Changchun, China is reportedly addicted to smoking and puffs about 10 cigarettes a day. The turtle’s owner, a restaurant chef named Tang, says a month ago he was removing a chicken bone that was stuck in the turtle’s belly when it tried to snap at him. So he stuffed a lit cigarette into its mouth, and now the turtle is hooked. At ten cigarettes a day, given its body weight of 9.5 pounds, the reptile is going through the equivalent of a 195 pound American male smoking about 200 cigarettes a day. But when the snapper doesn’t get its fix, it paces back and forth “restlessly” and even chases his owner when he lights up. Tang says says he can’t afford to budget for two cigarette habits and is seeking out any available advice on turtle smoking cessation.
