Help please: identify this tortoise

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Hello

I live in the UK, and found this tortoise wandering by the edge of the road. Can you let me know what breed it is? It is 15cm long - how old might it be?

Thank you.

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Thank you for the identification.

We're in Surrey. He was walking on the kerb of a grass verge, very close to the road. We don't know if he escaped or was left there.
 

TheTattooedTortoise

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Did you leave him there or have you taken him in? He either escaped or was 'set free' by a careless owner.

Ideally he could do with rescuing/adopting by an experienced keeper/reptile rescue and housing correctly and safely.
 
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Did you leave him there or have you taken him in? He either escaped or was 'set free' by a careless owner.

Ideally he could do with rescuing/adopting by an experienced keeper/reptile rescue and housing correctly and safely.
We've taken him in. Likely this will be on a temporary basis - we already love him but we know its a big responsibility. We're trying to locate the owners, otherwise will contact the local rescue reptile centre . We have a friend who has a tortoise who has helped us as beginners (we've built an outdoor pen with wire top so he can wander outdoors safely during the day; provided shade, food, water; we take him indoors at night).
 

Lyn W

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Hi thanks for rescuing him.
I think he's a Hermanns too, but if you you post about a found tort on FB or similar don't put photos or say what sort he is, so you can check the person claiming him is genuine. Someone may have already posted on local pages that they've lost him.
You could put signs up in the area, lamp posts, shops etc, report it to the police and contact local vets to see if they know of anyone in the area with a tort .
Thankfully it's warm and there's plenty of free food about at the moment - dandelions ribwort and broadleaf plantain, clover etc but here is the caresheet you need to look after him while you have him.
and this will help you with safe foods www.thetortoisetable,org,uk (no fruit)
Aldi do a cheap bag of good mixed leaf salad if you can't get weeds from a safe chemical free place
He may appreciate a nice soak in shallow luke-warm water to help hydrate him if he's been wandering in the dry weather.
He'll need a secure place to lodge with you as torts will find a way of climbing or digging to escape.
Good luck with him.
 
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Thank you Lyn. Yes we are very wary of the wrong person trying to claim him, so we've kept an eye on local Fb groups, walked down the roads nearby looking for 'Lost' notices', and have contacted the local vet (waiting to hear). We would want proof of ownership before handing him over.
Thank you for the care sheet, that's very helpful. The only thing he has eaten so far (we found him less than 48 hours ago) is a tomato. We were relieved he was eating something, but we know he should only eat that in moderation. So far, not interested in dandelions or rocket so we'll try other things today from an advised list. We gave him a shallow soak in lukewarm water on day 1.
He is a lovely chap and seems well - active in the day, took himself off to bed in the evening (when we then put him into a box and took him indoors overnight). His outdoor pen is secure, and we check on him every 30 minutes. But we know we are beginners/temporary guardians so open to and grateful for your expert advice.
 

TheTattooedTortoise

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We've taken him in. Likely this will be on a temporary basis - we already love him but we know its a big responsibility. We're trying to locate the owners, otherwise will contact the local rescue reptile centre . We have a friend who has a tortoise who has helped us as beginners (we've built an outdoor pen with wire top so he can wander outdoors safely during the day; provided shade, food, water; we take him indoors at night).
That's great, and you definitely came to the right place for any other advice needed!
Kudos to you guys for taking him/her in, even if it is temporary. I'm sure through you he will end up with a much happier and safer life!
 
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That's great, and you definitely came to the right place for any other advice needed!
Kudos to you guys for taking him/her in, even if it is temporary. I'm sure through you he will end up with a much happier and safer life!
Thank you TT! We were just so glad we found him and he's safe. (and pleased to report he ate some dandelion leaves this morning).

We'll pop back for advice if there's things we are worried about. His outdoor pen (2.4m x 1.2m) is on the grass, is that OK? We put a tray of soil in there (thinking, if he had the run of the garden, he'd be in the flower beds) but he's shown little interest. And we don't have a basking lamp - presumably he's Ok while the weather is so sunny and warm, but if we still have him next week, then should we think about that?
 

wellington

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Thank you TT! We were just so glad we found him and he's safe. (and pleased to report he ate some dandelion leaves this morning).

We'll pop back for advice if there's things we are worried about. His outdoor pen (2.4m x 1.2m) is on the grass, is that OK? We put a tray of soil in there (thinking, if he had the run of the garden, he'd be in the flower beds) but he's shown little interest. And we don't have a basking lamp - presumably he's Ok while the weather is so sunny and warm, but if we still have him next week, then should we think about that?
You are correct that while it is warm he will get the uvb and heat he needs from the sun.
A lot will have to be had for the cold months if you decide to keep him.
Come back later for that info after you decide for sure what you will do with him if owners not found.
For now, have water available 24/7 grass and weeds to eat, adding the dirt is fine and bring him inside at night or lock him up in a box/hide at night.
Good luck
 

TheTattooedTortoise

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A pen on the grass will be fine for the time being, 2.4 x 1.2 is on the smaller side for an adult but as a temp basis it's certainly better and a lot safer than being in the wild for him.
As Wellington says, depending what you decide to do.. you can come back for further info etc at the time it's needed. But while it's warm and dry he should be fine.
You could try adding a half burried plant pot on its side so he has a shady area to hide and feel safe, half hollow logs or even an upturned tub with a hole cut out to access will work.

Best of luck whatever you decide to do
 
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A pen on the grass will be fine for the time being, 2.4 x 1.2 is on the smaller side for an adult but as a temp basis it's certainly better and a lot safer than being in the wild for him.
As Wellington says, depending what you decide to do.. you can come back for further info etc at the time it's needed. But while it's warm and dry he should be fine.
You could try adding a half burried plant pot on its side so he has a shady area to hide and feel safe, half hollow logs or even an upturned tub with a hole cut out to access will work.

Best of luck whatever you decide to do
Thank you. We have a shady area at the end his pen, and an upturned tub with a hole with some straw inside, he takes himself into there at the end of the day. I wish we could do bigger, but we wanted him to get outside and out of his rescue box asap, so it was a quick trip to B&Q at 7am and built it!) We'll let him wander freely when we can supervise him - we deliberately have a garden fence with holes as we have hedgehogs coming and going, but that's no good for tortoises!
 
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You are correct that while it is warm he will get the uvb and heat he needs from the sun.
A lot will have to be had for the cold months if you decide to keep him.
Come back later for that info after you decide for sure what you will do with him if owners not found.
For now, have water available 24/7 grass and weeds to eat, adding the dirt is fine and bring him inside at night or lock him up in a box/hide at night.
Good luck
Thank you Wellington. We've checked the Tortoise Table for advice on foods so will add to his diet tomorrow. We hope to hear from the vets tomorrow, so we see if he is chipped. I've been looking on various forums and can see that torts can go missing for months - amazing! - but will do our best to track the owners down.
 

TheTattooedTortoise

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Yes 'holy fences' are not good, if there is an escape available they will take it for sure!
Sounds like your on the right track anyway, fair play to you for making the effort. Try and get him onto some good wholesome weeds- Ribwort & Broadleaf plantain, sow thistle, nipplewort, clover, dandelion.. etc. Check out thetortoisetable.org for a comprehensive list of safe foods. A lot of which you can find wild in the UK without much hassle. Just be mindful of public parks/ council flower beds as there is a possibility they use pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
 
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Yes 'holy fences' are not good, if there is an escape available they will take it for sure!
Sounds like your on the right track anyway, fair play to you for making the effort. Try and get him onto some good wholesome weeds- Ribwort & Broadleaf plantain, sow thistle, nipplewort, clover, dandelion.. etc. Check out thetortoisetable.org for a comprehensive list of safe foods. A lot of which you can find wild in the UK without much hassle. Just be mindful of public parks/ council flower beds as there is a possibility they use pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
Done some screenshots of the wholesome weeds and created an identification sheet, so will go foraging tomorrow! Learning something new! Yes Tortoise Table very useful - saw that herbs like mint and thyme are also possible foods, also spider plants, these are all things we have already, so we can try them.
 

TheTattooedTortoise

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Yes they are both safe herbs although some torts don't find them palatable... always worth offering incase though, a wide variety is key for sure.
Yes I've got several spider plants within my hermanns indoor enclosure. He has the odd nibble but mostly just uses it for hiding.
Enjoy your foraging adventure tomorrow, it's surprising what you'll come across... even the odd tortoise apparently ??
 

Jan A

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Thank you Lyn. Yes we are very wary of the wrong person trying to claim him, so we've kept an eye on local Fb groups, walked down the roads nearby looking for 'Lost' notices', and have contacted the local vet (waiting to hear). We would want proof of ownership before handing him over.
Thank you for the care sheet, that's very helpful. The only thing he has eaten so far (we found him less than 48 hours ago) is a tomato. We were relieved he was eating something, but we know he should only eat that in moderation. So far, not interested in dandelions or rocket so we'll try other things today from an advised list. We gave him a shallow soak in lukewarm water on day 1.
He is a lovely chap and seems well - active in the day, took himself off to bed in the evening (when we then put him into a box and took him indoors overnight). His outdoor pen is secure, and we check on him every 30 minutes. But we know we are beginners/temporary guardians so open to and grateful for your expert advice.
Thank you for looking out for him. What nice people this forum introduces us to!!
 

KarenSoCal

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Hi, and welcome!

If you would post a few pictures, we can probably tell you if he's a guy or gal. Take a couple of his underneath, showing his tail (hopefully out straight), and his anal scutes. Also a couple showing his whole plastron (bottom shell).
 
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