Found a tort in my front yard

[John in TX]

Hello everyone. I'm new to the tort forum so please forgive any incorrect etiquette.
A tort wandered into my front yard, dug a hole and took up residence. He's driving the neighbors dog crazy and I'm afraid the dog will jump the fence looking for some tort soup. I called the local wildlife rescue to come get him, but they didn't seem to think it was a big deal. Talking with them and describing his shell appearance they felt he was a wild tort since he had a lot of mud on his shell. I took the guy away from the fence line and the hole he had dug and placed him about 15' away from the dog and hoping he would take a hint and meander back from which he came. That didn't happen. He went back to his hole and there he sits. Driving the dog next crazy.
Any hints on what to do for this guy?
I'll attach the pic I took of him.
Thanks for any and all help.
John

 

[G-stars]

Might be an escaped pet. Especially if you live in the suburbs/city. Can't make out what kind if tortoise he is. You will have better luck identifying him if you house him down then take a pic.


— Gus

 

[Jacqui]

It would help if we could really see what it is you have found. Seeing his entire body, especially seeing his head is helpful. Even seeing his stomach (plastron) can be useful, too.

 

[tortdad]

Got a pond near you? That strip down its shell says water turtle to me.
Hose it off and get some pictures of the top and bottom of the shell plus a face shot. What neck of the woods are you from


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

 

[tortdad]

Go pick it up and look at it in the face. Does it have yellow stripes down its legs like this guy?

Here's one that wandered into my yard the other day.


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

Thats not a tortoise its a turtle my guess a red earned slider.

 

[tortdad]

Here's my guess based on the picture provided.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deirochelys_reticularia

Chicken turtle


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

 

[bouaboua]

Sure is a Turtle not a tortoise.

That's only how much I know about turtle.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I'm gonna have to be quicker on the uptake I'm thinkin, cuz I also think it's a water turtle. John...he can only eat if he's in water so please put him in something big enough he can swim around and offer him some worms, or fish, or trout chow, or bugs of some sort, maybe some lettuce or thin sliced zucchini....

 

[tortdad]

Zucchini ??? Are we making turtle soup? My aunt makes snapping turtle soup.


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

 

[John in TX]

Hello all... I just went out to check on my new resident and bit appears he has decided on less noisy logging (no dogs) or possibly less sun as the spot he chose soon lost its shade.
I was getting used to checking on him. He was a fairly good size critter as he was easily 8-9" from the front of his shell to the back and approx 3-4" from belly to rounded top. Looking inside his shell, there was lots of yellow and black with stripes on his legs. His head looked about the size of a 50 cent piece.
And now... "Big T" as I had named him, has sadly moved on.

 

[John in TX]

If he returns, I will give him a bath, take better pics and post. If he returns, what kind of logging/cage should I setup for him to be comfortable?

 

[tortdad]

If he returns, I will give him a bath, take better pics and post. If he returns, what kind of logging/cage should I setup for him to be comfortable?

You shouldn't keep him, he's a wild water turtle and should stay that way. I'm sure you have a pond or neighborhood retention pond near you that he lives in.


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

 

[John in TX]

Tort dad... We have a very large drainage ditch about 1/2 mile from my house, however it doesn't have any water in it as my side of town hasn't had any significant rain in quite awhile. We live in a cul de sac and he would have to travel quite a distance from the ditch to my house. If he is as you say, a wild water turtle, I will most definitely leave him in his natural habitat. He was a really cool Big T and I'll miss him.

 

[John in TX]

If Big T ever does return, I'll bathe him take some pics just so you all can appreciate him as I do... Even though he was only here a couple hours.
Funny though... I never considered myself a turtle or tort guy... But Big T has proven me wrong.
Thanks to all for all your quick responses and very valuable info. I can see that the tort/turtle family is a very close knit compassionate group/family. You ppl are as amazing as the torts and turtles. Thanks again all!

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

If Big T ever does return, I'll bathe him take some pics just so you all can appreciate him as I do... Even though he was only here a couple hours.
Funny though... I never considered myself a turtle or tort guy... But Big T has proven me wrong.
Thanks to all for all your quick responses and very valuable info. I can see that the tort/turtle family is a very close knit compassionate group/family. You ppl are as amazing as the torts and turtles. Thanks again all!

if you ever decide to get a pet turtle or tortoise, we are here to help

 

[tortdad]

If Big T ever does return, I'll bathe him take some pics just so you all can appreciate him as I do... Even though he was only here a couple hours.
Funny though... I never considered myself a turtle or tort guy... But Big T has proven me wrong.
Thanks to all for all your quick responses and very valuable info. I can see that the tort/turtle family is a very close knit compassionate group/family. You ppl are as amazing as the torts and turtles. Thanks again all!

Stick around and you just may learn something cool and find a species of tortoise that just can't live without. He's my 150lb male sulcata


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

 

[tortdad]

Tort dad... We have a very large drainage ditch about 1/2 mile from my house, however it doesn't have any water in it as my side of town hasn't had any significant rain in quite awhile. We live in a cul de sac and he would have to travel quite a distance from the ditch to my house. If he is as you say, a wild water turtle, I will most definitely leave him in his natural habitat. He was a really cool Big T and I'll miss him.

The ditch may be a 1/2 mile away but I'm sure your storm sewer pipes have some water in the connecting him to your area.


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

 

[Maggie Cummings]

The ditch may be a 1/2 mile away but I'm sure your storm sewer pipes have some water in the connecting him to your area.


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

Hey tortdad, how old is Hal Jordan? Bob was 150 pounds last Christmas and he turned 17 this year...
I'll bet that was a RES and he looked so dry you know he's wanting a pond...

 

[tortdad]

Hey tortdad, how old is Hal Jordan? Bob was 150 pounds last Christmas and he turned 17 this year...
I'll bet that was a RES and he looked so dry you know he's wanting a pond...

Hal is 11 years old


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)