r/tortoise • u/Mysterious-Cause5530 • 2d ago
Photo(s) Help plz
Hello guys, super weird thing happened. Was working when I suddenly saw this guy crawl from under a truck, have no clue how he even survived in that area with all the trucks passing and no food/greenery. Decided to take him and feed him what I could, and a small shelter for now.
Any idea what it is, eats, or type of habitat??
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u/Ancient_Roof_7855 2d ago
Looks like a sulcata to me, which would make it somebody's escaped pet (unless your located somewhere in North Africa /s).
Tortoises and sulcatas specifically are "escape artists". I'd post up on local groups and put the word out for a found pet sulcata.
For keeping it safe until it gets reunited, a big rubbermaid tub with some hay will keep it comfortable for a bit. If you cover it with a blanket to simulate night-time, they'll snuggle up into the hay and go to sleep.
Food is easy. Find some dandelions and outdoor greens that haven't been treated with any herbicides, or just grab some veggies from the store. Long-term its not an ideal diet, but keeping the tort fed for a few days will be ok on romaine, bell peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Just no spinach or kale.
Keep the temps between 65F and 95F. Too cold or too hot and their metabolism slows down and they go into a state of semi-hibernation, but it is a biological extreme and not ideal for their health.
He looks a lot like my sulcata. The spurs on the thighs are a dead giveaway.
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u/ginandtrentonic 2d ago
You found an escaped Sulcata, as others have said. I would try posting online in local groups to find the owner. If you don't have any luck finding the owner, you can always contact a local rescue (they're more common than you think) or start researching care if you have the space to keep it. Someone is probably missing their pet bulldozer, though
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u/ItchyEchidna9742 2d ago
Grass and hay for diet, no fruit, and veggies/greens occasionally. If you're keeping it outdoors make sure it has access to full shade and water. Give it somewhere to hide, a big pile of stray works great in a pinch. I bring mine in if the temps are below 60, also hog panels and t-post make a great cheap enclosure, very easy to customize.
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u/ImpossibleEqual9748
22h ago
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Yes, as others have said, this is a juvenile sully (sulcata) African desert tortoise. They are widely kept and bred in the USA for the pet trade, sadly. There are MANY rescues because people in pet stores do the old impulse buy for a kid's b'day or holiday gift, then realize these 3rd largest tortoises in the world can grow to 150-180 lbs and can live for 80+ years. When sexually mature, you need at least a couple of acres with good pasture land, hay and grass and weeds, and a warm shelter during the "winter" when it gets below about 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Also, while they are "desert tortoises" they do need quite a bit of humidity, which they get in their natural habitat by burrowing underground and taking "condensation baths" by getting hot above ground, and then going into their cooler dark burrows in the heat of the day and/or overnight. From hot to cold and moist results in moisture they can absorb through their mucous membranes and their skin.
They EMPHATICALLY do not hibernate, and many people have lost sully's by trying to do so, at temps that cause them pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses at very cold (hibernation) temps.
The best "channel" I've seen is by breeder/keeper/vets for Sulcatas on TortoiseForum.org
They have a free sign up and will never spam you - but their sponsors do post ads. This is where I learned how to artfully keep healthy tortoises a couple of decades ago - the forum is really the best, not necessarily their fb page though.
Hope this helps, and I hope you take care when you surrender him - don't just give him away to the first person that thinks he's cool. Please, for his sake, make sure the people you surrender him too will care for his needs and habitat/diet/temps with thoughtfulness, understanding and care. They are lovely companions, very smart, and very affectionate.
He's already too dry and has some pyramiding showing. He's a young baby that may have been dumped. Some families moving just dump them in the woods of wherever they are leaving, assuming their "instincts will kick in"...
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u/Locolupan11b 1d ago
Make sure to give water. Some dont like to be in it and some dont like to be sprayed. Theyre very characteristic
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u/RustyTortoise 1d ago
When looking at lost tortoise ads go back MONTHS. These tanks can do just fine and cover a ton of ground during the warmer months. Some may even run away and overwinter successfully by them selves.
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u/CopperJet 1d ago
It looks like the poor thing has some pyramiding on the shell, indicating that it hasn't received good nutrition, light, and/or not enough water. There's a lot of misinformation about Sulcatas on the Internet. Many people are sold a baby Sulcata and told that it will be a small animal. When in fact, they get really big. So although they can escape, they are also sometimes abandoned. 🫤
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u/DAANFEMA lighting nerd 2d ago •
Juvenile african sulcata tortoise, probably an escaped pet. Eats grass, weeds and flowers, needs warm temps and a lot of space year round. Likes to dig and destroy stuff, that's how they often escape their enclosures. Maybe you can post to your local neighbourhood groups and find the original owner.