My newest family member

[Stellavt]

Hi all, i am Stella. I live in Steelpoort Limpopo South Africa. We saved a little tortoise from becoming soup to somone els. We dont want to let him back into the wild for fearing someone els might catch him for the same reason. He is living in our house since yesterday with my cats and dog. Dont worry, they show no intrest in him. I take him outside to roam while im working in my garden. So he does get enough sunlight. What can i feed him and how can i tell his age. He fits in my one hand. I also dont know what kind of tortoise he is.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Welcome! Good you saved the tortoise from turning into soup!

upload a few pictures of your new friend so someone can help ID.

Be very careful around dogs.......they have been known to quickly snap, run & chew on torts.

 

[Stellavt]

Hi here are a few photos of my tortoise

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome!
That's a leopard tortoise. Here's a link to our care sheet:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Aloysius Taschse]

Great job on saving the tortoise (sorry soup eaters) and welcome to the forum! The care sheet Yvonne G linked is perfect and tells you pretty much everything. It is hard to tell the age, but you can predict based on the size. Good luck!

 

[Sarah2020]

Welcome and well done for the rescue. I am sure with the care sheet and a safe environment it will reward you for the rescue. It needs an appropriate lucky name.

 

[SasquatchTortoise]

Maybe his name should be Lucky? Also, he/she has a really lovely shell.

 

[Ray--Opo]

Hi here are a few photos of my tortoise

View attachment 313957

What a beauty!

 

[Yvonne G]

I think I may be wrong on the I.D. Let's ask @zovick or @Markw84

 

[Lyn W]

Hi and welcome - he is lovely and I'm so pleased you saved him from becoming soup.

 

[Tom]

Hi here are a few photos of my tortoise

View attachment 313957

Can we see more pics? And the plastron too?

Because your dog isn't showing interest now doesn't mean it won't tomorrow. Or the next day. Keep the tortoise separate from the dog. It will do no good to rescue the tortoise from the soup pot, only to have it chewed up by your dog. No one thinks their dog will chew up their tortoise, until it happens. Everyone one of them was wrong and found out too late.

The tortoise needs to be contained in a large enclosure indoor and out.

 

[zovick]

I think I may be wrong on the I.D. Let's ask @zovick or @Markw84

I also believe it is a Leopard Tortoise (S. p. babcocki).

 

[Sarah2020]

Hi here are a few photos of my tortoise

View attachment 313957

If possible please upload more pics of your lucky tortoise inc side of face to see beak and underneath. There are many species native to South Africa do will be nice to match it up.

 

[Markw84]

I also believe it is a Leopard Tortoise (S. p. babcocki).

I agree. That is a leopard tortoise. A few different clades of the leopard tortoise are native to S Africa. As Zovick said, that is what we used to refer to as the S. p. babcocki subspecies.