Hi, all! I'm new here, interesting story..

[Cacie]

Hey guys! I kind of ended up with a pet tortoise on accident.. but I'm NOT complaining! I love him already!
Here's the story..
I live in southwest FL, In a tiny rural area with many plots of land, and dirt roads. I went out one afternoon on my four-wheeler, on my way to a neighborhood party. Down the MIDDLE of the road.. bopping along.. was a HUGE tortoise.. I immediately recognized once i got closer that it was a beautiful Sulcata. He weighs about 50 lbs.. I managed to load him onto the back of my four-wheeler (I have a large tray that normally holds a seat) And took him home. I knew that i had to post him onto the community Facebook page (which literally EVERYONE in my area is a member of) because I thought he must have been someones pet who got out. Many people around my area have tons of different animals that they let wander their properties, so I figured he was an escapee. Many people commented saying they had seen him in the past few days, that he showed up out of the blue, but no one claimed him. Over the course of the few days that I let him wander my property, hoping that someone would come foreword, He had found a watering hole from the condensation pipe on my ac system, made a burrow in my barn under an overturned lawnmower cart, and became best friends with my dogs.. He is quite obviously someone's pet that they must have dumped out here in the middle of nowhere. I feed him hibiscus branches out of my hands.. he's very friendly. I guess I will keep him and take him into the vet soon. He is clear of any sort of shell rot from what i can see (I've had turtles in the past) and I think I'll get some play sand to put under his new "burrow" so that he is not laying in the mud. He has developed a routine.. wake up at 9 am.. eat grass.. nap for a few hours.. wake back up.. eat more grass.. go to bed at 5pm.. repeat. HE doesn't even wander the perimiter of the property or push up against the fence like he did the first night i had him.. he seems very content now. A happy tort is a happy owner! ALSO: I NEED NAMES! Long tail and Scutes suggest he is a male.

I atached a pic of him and my King Shepherd hanging out in the shade

 

[PJay]

Welcome to the forum Cacie! You're right, that is an interesting story. You said when you found it, it was bopping along. How about naming it Bopper?

 

[cmacusa3]

That's awesome and he/she looks great!

 

[Diamond]

Sounds like he found a happy home and a few new friends.

 

[TerraTheRussian]

Great story and picture too. Welcome to the forum!

 

[Gillian M]

A nice story, and a good looking tort.

Please read the "Beginners Mistakes" Thread, and make sure your tort has enough warmth and humidity. Ask ANY question when in doubt.

As for names; you can find those one the net.

And a very warm welcome to the forum, @Cacie .

 

[Cacie]

Thanks for the replies, all! I will definitely check the thread out! Although I'm sure it's warm enough here in FL. Good thing is, I have good power in my barn and will set up a heater/heat lamp in the winter! I'm thinking of building him a hut big enough to put a light under but I would feel so bad disturbing his little burrow. Although, I'll be disturbing it in his best interest, just like when I add the sand. I have literally become obsessed with him. I think he is the cutest lil(big) guy ever! And he's such a chill dude! He likes to have his neck scratched it warms my heart.

 

[Yvonne G]

That's a very nice-looking sulcata. Whoever dumped him did an awfully good job of growing him up. Here's a tip for you. Give him a bath! He's very dirty, and could be even more beautiful once you get all the dirt off him. It's quite ok to give him a scrub with a brush. Just run the hose over him and start scrubbing. You can even scrub his legs, etc. Then, provide him with a waterer that he can get in and out of safely, and he'll keep himself clean.

 

[Tortoisefanatic88]

Welcome to the forum Please don't ever leave your dog alone with your tortoise. There have been too many horror stories with dogs and tortoises.

 

[Jodie]

Great story and really neat find! Because I have a tortoise that was chewed by a dog, I have to tell you that could be a dangerous situation. My dog ignored my tortoise for several years. One day, boredom?, she noticed a walking bone. She chewed and caused fairly extensive shell damage. I was lucky and there was no punctures or fractures. At 50 pounds, he is probably safe from death, but not injury. I hope no one has to feel the guilt I had from allowing my dog access to my tortoise. That is the only reason I share the story. Best of luck with your new pet. I also have a Sulcata about 50 pounds. He is the greatest thing ever! Enjoy!

 

[Carol S]

Welcome to the Forum.

 

[GingerLove]

You are so lucky!!! That would be a dream come true for me. Welcome to the Tortoise Forum from another Floridian. Hope the hurricane doesn't head your way. And I second the name Bopper.

 

[Cacie]

I will DEFFINITELY give him a bath and I never leave my dogs outside unattended, as they're too smart and I worry that they'll get out! I work from home so whenever they go out, I go out!

 

[Cacie]

You are so lucky!!! That would be a dream come true for me. Welcome to the Tortoise Forum from another Floridian. Hope the hurricane doesn't head your way. And I second the name Bopper.

Where from?? I'm in Punta Gord, swfl. Just north on Ft Myers!

 

[Yvonne G]

I will DEFFINITELY give him a bath and I never leave my dogs outside unattended, as they're too smart and I worry that they'll get out! I work from home so whenever they go out, I go out!

That's me too. I have a 3 year old doberman, my faithful companion, Misty. She's never out of my sight, but not because I don't allow it. She's just keyed into me. If I'm on the computer she's right here by my side. If I'm doing dishes, she's right there under the table. When she has to go outside, if I put her out alone she sits by the door and utters an occasional "woof" to let me know she can't do her business unless I come too.

I'd like to invite you to join us on the "Pretend Chat" thread. You don't have to read all 5,000 pages to catch up, just pop in at the end and join in:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/pretend-chat-2-14.87425/

 

[Cacie]

My dogs are the same! If I don't go out with them they'll sit outside at the door barking.. Spoiled brats.

 

[GingerLove]

Where from?? I'm in Punta Gord, swfl. Just north on Ft Myers!

I'm in the Orlando area. The hurricane isn't supposed to be too bad over here. What're you going to do about Bopper? (Just calling him that for now ) Is it supposed to be bad in your area? Wish you the best of luck!

 

[Cacie]

At the most I'll ge some wind and rain, it won't really be near me, it's mostly on the other coast! His hut is in the barn out back, so he should be fine

 

[MPRC]

What an adorable dirt ball! He could have been out wandering for a while, but it sounds like he's happy to have been found.

 

[Speedy-1]

That's a nice looking Sully , Cacie !