Found sulcata Tortoise

Anovick5

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Joined
Jan 31, 2015
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South Florida
Some children just knocked on my door with a sulcata they found. It was hard to get the full story because they're ten year olds, but I think it was found between a few days ago and a week ago. It was found in Davie, Florida on Dykes Road between Stirling and Sheridan Street. It's maybe 9 inches or so long. It's pretty clean. Or at least clean enough that I suspect it hasn't been lost for long. I'll attach a few pictures. Note the split scute. Is anyone missing their tort or know someone in the area that might be missing their tort?

Even if you don't, I can use some advice. I have a 12" sulcata. It took about 2 minutes for him to start chasing the found tortoise around trying to mount it. I'm not sure if the new tortoise is male or female. Can I keep them together for a few days while I look for the owner? Or will my 12" boy hurt the 9" tort? Also, what else should I be doing to find the owner? I'm posting here, I'll post on Reddit, and I'll put up some flyers. What else should I do?

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Picture 1: https://goo.gl/photos/ohAT3gvCGHYij3mY6

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Picture 2: https://goo.gl/photos/EDr7UTJvzKDgb8da7
 
Last edited:

GingerLove

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I live in Florida as well, haven't heard of anyone missing a tort near me. For some reason I can't see your pictures. It sounds like you are doing just about all you can do, great job with the flyers and posting here. Have you talked to your neighbors?
I would not recommend keeping the torts together while you look for an owner. Sometimes torts aren't very friendly and attack each other... and you might end up with an impregnated tortoise. Do you think you will be able to keep him if nobody comes to claim him??
 

Anovick5

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Joined
Jan 31, 2015
Messages
15
Location (City and/or State)
South Florida
I live in Florida as well, haven't heard of anyone missing a tort near me. For some reason I can't see your pictures. It sounds like you are doing just about all you can do, great job with the flyers and posting here. Have you talked to your neighbors?
I would not recommend keeping the torts together while you look for an owner. Sometimes torts aren't very friendly and attack each other... and you might end up with an impregnated tortoise. Do you think you will be able to keep him if nobody comes to claim him??

I added links since the pictures aren't showing up. If I check on them every few hours, am I able to keep them together? Or can damage be done too quickly for that to be okay? Right now I have the found tortoise in a plastic bin that barely allows it to turn around, so I feel bad. When I watched them together, I didn't see my tortoise doing anything particularly aggressive, just mounting the new guy. If it makes a difference, it didn't look like my tortoise was particularly successful when he mounted the new tortoise. Does that suggest the new one is male? I probably will keep it if I can't find the owner. It'll mean building a new enclosure, but that's long overdue anyway.
 

mike taylor

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Its a young sulcata tortoise. Probably a pet that got out . Post some flyers around town .
 

Yvonne G

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Block off an area so he can be kept separate from yours.
 

Tom

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This one should be nowhere near your tortoise, its enclosure or anything that has contact with your tortoise.

The aggression is bad, the disease/parasite potential is far worse. Plus this new one was out walking around in the wild wild world? No way man. Get it out of your enclosure ASAP!

Set it up somewhere far away from your tortoise. Like a friend or family members house, or the front yard, etc...
 
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