Hello everyone, I'm new to these forums.

I have come by my tortoise by default - if you look in the lost/found section you will see my posting.

I live on a fairly busy country road, but no other houses within walking distance.

A motorist stopped and rescued the tortoise, other traffic was pulling out round her, and she was going at quite some speed apparently.

She has been vetchecked, seems in good health, no microchip.  I think definately female and probably at least 25 years old but more than likely a fair bit older, she weighs 800G (a little under 4lb) and measures 27cms (10.5 inches) in length.

She has been here 6 days now, eating well, to start with I put her in an outdoor run with strawfilled box at night, but now she selects where she wants to be, and gets herself up in the morning.  I have plenty of land, she can roam free, and it is secure, however today she escaped by finding the one broken piece of fencing on the whole premises and was again picked up by a motorist racing along the same stretch of road.  I understand that tortoises have a good homing instinct, and feel sad that she might be trying to get back to her owner.

I have tried all the usual ways of tracing where she could have come from but am at a loss to know what to do.  If she has arrived here on foot then she has travelled a lot of miles, or else she has been dumped.

I have read loads on hibernation - I don't think I have the confidence to attempt this when the time comes, and I would be devestated if this creature had lived all these years and I was responsible for ending her life.  I have no facilities to put up heat lamps or to have the tortoise in the house, and so wondered if there are people who undertake this on behalf of others for a charge.

Things are so different now, when I was a youngster, tortoises were piled high in pet shop windows - you put them into hibernation in a box full of straw or hay and got them out again in the spring, and put them straight back in the garden.

I just wanted to share all this really - hope I haven't rambled too much.

Hi,

Have you got a photo of this tort so that someone in here can identify what sort it is. This site do a re-homing service and that might be something to consider asking, but I am sure Darren or someone will answer you, but a pic would help to know what sort you have there.

K 

Hello,

Thank you for your reply - I have emailed photos to Darren. I think this one is a Hermanns.

I just find it unbelievable that the tortoise could have been on the road so many miles from houses.

I made a mistake with my original info - the tortoise actually weighs 1800 G, not 800g as I originally stated - so she is a hefty girl.

Chi

Hi Chi, have you contacted the wildlife officer John Hayward from the National Theft Register for Zoological wildlife Investigations who runs a register of all such cases.  His contact details are:

Tel/fax: 01869 325699
Mobile:  07802 404929
Pager:  07626 120425
e-mail:  jh@ntr.supanet.com

Regards Vivienne

Hi Vivienne,

Thank you for your reply, yes I have spoken to John Hayward and given all the details.

I wonder if the original owners are maybe elderly and have no internet access, still doesn't explain how tortoise arrived here so far from other houses though.

When I have time, I think I will contact local paper.

Kindest regards,

Chi

Yes Chi, thats a good idea, and put notices up in local shops, keep us informed

Vivienne