Does anybody know what kind of turtle this is and what it eats?

Question

I found this turtle in the middle of the road. And I unfortunately know absolutely nothing about turtle species. And while I try to see if anybody lost their turtle (But I'm wondering how a turtle can run away.), I'd like to see if I could try feeding it. Here are some pictures of it. It is around I'm guessing 6-8 inches.

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i105/kammyspics/turtle.jpg
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i105/kammyspics/turtle2.jpg

Thank you. :)

Thanks everyone! The owner saw our posters and took his turtle back! But I'll just leave picking the best answer up to the voters, because you were all so helpful! :)

Answer 1

http://www.sulcata-station.org/
is a good web site

i think its funny as soon as someone asks what they should feed their turtle, someone says '' oh feed it lettuce''.
lettuce is one of the most nutrient and vitamin free foods you can feed it. us humans think lettuce is so good for us, and salads are so healthy. salads with iceberg lettuce are healthier than other foods like big macs, because theres no fat or cholesterol, but theres no nutrients either. heres what a vet said..''Head (iceberg) lettuce should never be feed as it contains very little nutrition, but dark green leaf lettuces (e.g romaine) can be feed sparingly''

anyhoo its an african spur thigh Tortoise (Sulcata Tortoise)
he looks healthy, and hopfully you can build him a fencedin area to keep him outside. i would use a puppy pen or baby pen.



African Spur Thigh Tortoise (Sulcata Tortoise)

heres some great info

good luck!!

General Information:

Sulcata tortoises live in the grasslands of Africa. Newly hatched tortoises typically measure 1-2 inches in diameter. When full grown, they can measure up to 3 feet in diameter and will weigh up to 150 pounds. They can live for over 100 years if cared for properly. This species of tortoise does not hibernate so they cannot be kept outdoors in climates where the temperature drops below 70 degrees or they will freeze to death. Hatchlings under 2 years should not be kept outdoors. These guys are enormous burrowers. They will dig tunnels up to 6 feet deep and 30 feet long if given the opportunity. For your tortoise's safely, chicken wire should be placed underground in their outdoor pen so they cannot dig these enormous burrows. This will prevent them from having the burrow collapse on them causing them to suffocate, and will also prevent them from escaping from your yard and being hit by cars or stolen, etc.

Housing:

In the wild, Sulcatas have a very large territory - they will roam an area of about 1 square mile. Keeping this in mind, you should try to provide them with as much space as possible. A minimum of a 20 gallon long tank can be used for a hatchling. A 1-2 year old tortoise requires a minimum of a 70 gallon tank or a large custom enclosure. At 2 years of age, your tortoise can move outside if you live in a warm climate, otherwise they will need a large warm basement, etc. to roam around in. Alfalfa pellets, hay, aspen bark, corn cob bedding, or reptile sand can be used for bedding. Do not use any type of humidity-holding bark such as pine or cypress - since the tortoises come from the dry desert/grasslands they are unable to tolerate humidity. Even small amounts of humidity (from a water bowl or moist bedding) can cause respiratory infections in Sulcata Tortoises. Do not keep a water bowl in the tank with your tortoise for this reason. Instead, take your tortoise out and soak him in a very shallow dish of warm water for about 30 minutes twice a week. Keep in mind these guys can't swim! They will sink like a rock if they are put in deep water. A 1/2 log or other hiding spot should be placed at one end of the tank. A pegboard or screen top should be placed on the cage. Do not put plastic or poisonous plants in the tank with your tortoise! They will try to eat them.

Heating and Lighting:

Two types of lighting will need to be turned on for 10-12 hours per day:

An incandescent light bulb should be placed on the top of the tank opposite the side with the hiding spot to provide your tortoise with a warm basking spot. Depending on the size of your tank and the temp in the room, anywhere from a 15 watt to a 75 watt bulb can be used. Place a thermometer under the bulb on the ground where your tortie will bask and make sure the temperature reaches 95-105 degrees when the light is on. If not, adjust the wattage of the bulb accordingly. A second thermometer should be placed at the other (cool) end of tank to make sure that side is at least 10-20 degrees cooler than the basking side so you don't cook your new pet! This light should be turned off for the night. However, if your house gets colder than 72 degrees at night, a black or blue light should be used to bring the temperature up to 75-80 degrees.

All day-moving reptiles, including Sulcata Tortoises, require a florescent UVA/UVB light. This light replicates the sun's rays which radiate vitamin D3, helping the animal to absorb calcium into their body. The light needs to be placed within 8-12 inches of the tortie's basking spot in order to be effective. The light should be replaced every 6-12 months. This light should be turned off for the night as well.

I do not recommend using any type of heating pad, hot rock, or anything other than an over-head heat source. Some people have had problems with their tortoises burning themselves on these types of heating elements. I am also a firm believer in replicating the natural environment as closely as possible. The heat from the sun comes from above, not from below. However, a flat piece of flagstone or other rock can be placed under the heat light if desired. It will warm in the light and provide a nice spot for your tortie to sprawl out.

Diet:

Sulcata Tortoises are strictly veggie eaters. Do not ever feed these guys insect or animal matter. Their digestive systems are not designed to process these types of foods. They need to get a large variety of grasses, dark leafy greens, fruits, and vegetables to be healthy. Their diet should consist of 80-90% grasses, hays and dark greens, 10-20% vegetables and fruits. Try things like collard greens, rye grass, clover, escarole, romaine, any type of grass, red or green-leaf lettuce, cabbage, timothy hay, alphalfa hay, dandelion greens, and the pre-cut variety packs of "baby greens" available at the grocery store. A lot of people plant different grass seeds in small shallow pans and then rotate them through the tank, allowing the tortie to graze from the growing seeds. Offer your tortoise berries, apples, peaches, beans, peas, carrots and as many different types of fruits and veggies as you can. Iceberg lettuce should NEVER be fed to any reptile. Rep-Cal Calcium and Multivitamin powder should be sprinkled over food 2-4 times per week.

General Care:

You should condition your tortoise's shell weekly with a shell conditioner available at most pet stores. This will keep the shell from getting dry and brittle and will prevent cracks.

Answer 2

That is most definitely a Sulcata tortoise. We get quite a few of them turned in to us here at the rescue that have been found walking in streets. Recently we had someone ship one to us that was found under their porch in Pennsylvania. Poor thing was quite sick. Not sure it they are escaped pets or being dumped, but no signs or ads usually means they are dumped. If you don't find lost tortoise posters it's most likely a dumped tort. It should only be fed grass and weeds from a NON-Fertilized lawn. DO NOT feed fruits as their guts are not designed to handle it. The poor thing is probably dehydrated so give it a good long 20 - 30 minute soak in baby bath warm water just high enough to cover the plastron (bottom shell). If you cannot find the owner and need help placing the tortoise let me know, I can help you get it to a good home in the south. These torts grow to be upwards of 125-175 pounds when full grown. For more info on Sulcata go to www.africantortoise.com
Julie, Director
Turtle Rescue of Long Island
www.turtlerescues.org

Answer 3

I'm thinking Sulcata, based on the legs...

Feed Daily: Offer desert tortoise species mostly (95%) dark leafy greens, grasses and legumes. Baby greens and spring mix; dandelion greens, romaine lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, etc. are all favorites among tortoises. Variety is important. Fruits and other occasional foods (primate diet) can be offered in small amounts (5%). For tropical tortoises feed a ratio of 75% leafy greens and 25% fruits. Adults should be fed every other day.



Vitamins: Lightly dust all foods with a 50/50 mixture of calcium supplements and vitamin supplements. These items are an essential part of your dragons’ diet. Without them, tortoises may develop vitamin and calcium deficiencies, which are ultimately fatal.

Answer 4

1. I am also pretty sure it is a Sulcata, or African Spurred Tortoise (sometimes mistakenly called a 'spur-thighed' tortoise). Here is a photo gallery of Sulcatas: http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/world_of_turtles/Sulcata_Tortoises_-_Geochelone_sulcata/index.html

2. This is one of the most often abandoned species of tortoise there is. You can buy them cheap, but they grow WAY too large for the average keeper. Study up on them before you decide to keep it.

3. The diet of the Sulcata is basically grasses. The sites http://www.sulcata-station.org and http://www.tortoisetrust.org can help with diet, cares, etc.

4. Understand that many of the responses you got here are from people who did not do their homework!

5. It looks in good condition- it is probably someone's pet- there might be a reward, or at least good karma- for its return.

Answer 5

might be a large sulcata tortoisehttp://www.turtlehomes.org/usa/images/SulcataTortoiseSalad.jpg

turtle eat fruit and veg, dandelion salads are some times preferred.
too much fruit is bad for the beck.

from the picture it looks to be in good health, the shell is relatively flat, not lumpy, this shows it has been receiving a good diet, this suggests the owner took good care of it, and may be missing it terribly

calcium additives are needed (can buy from pet stores about £4) , but for a short time it should be find on salads, 2 to 3 meals per day i think. a shallow bowl of fresh water, if may sit in the water, so it needs to be shallow, also stops it tipping it over.

I would suggest you put a picture on a found poster and put a couple around your area, it can't have traveled too far from home.

good luck

Answer 6

You my friend have a sulcata. It's the largest African mainland tortoise, so it probably did run away. It looks fairly large and someone is probably looking for it. They average $100-125 for a baby (roughly 2 inches).

Feed it any kind of greens, stay away from lettuce. They like tomatoes and some fruit like watermelon and cantaloupe. Depending of if you want to keep it for a pet you can feed it small mice (if it will eat them).

I would look into finding its owner. If you are unsuccessful and don't want to keep him, let me know (I would like to have him).

Answer 7

I believe that this is a desert tortoise. They eat collard greens, mustard, grape leaves, turnip greens, and dandelions. They can also eat squash, bell peppers, carrots, peas, and occasionaly grapes, plums, and bananas. It might be wild so wait a couple of days and see if any one reports a missing tortoise but if not, you may want to return it to the wild as wild turtles do horribly in captivty which results in premature death. Don't put it in water. It doesn't have flippers and can't swim well. It would more than likely drown.

Answer 8

Where do you live? Its probably a box turtle, they are wild.
I know a little about land turtles in GENERAL.

In captivity, They will eat:
Lettuce
celery
dandielions
apples
spinach
chopped carrots
peas
Various tree leaves

Keep him in a 30 gallon tank or larger. Put in bark, a heat lamp, a big rock, a small shallow dish of water, and hiding places (like a fak-hollow log from a pet store). Good luck!

Answer 9

I have a tortoise and he's only allowed to eat Romaine Lettuce as all other lettuces have too much water in them and not enough useful vitamins. He also loves rocket. From the pictures he looks rather dry, so try giving him some thin slices of cucumber. I wouldn't give him any fruit at all because it's too sticky for them. Hope that helps!

Answer 10

its a sulcata iim 90% sure might be a desert torties i dont know where u are and its not a box turtle im sure of that if ur in a popular area then it might be someones turtle. feed it lettice and fruit no water it will kill him. im not jokeing either

Answer 11

i think it is called a star turtle or something but can't be sure a 100 percent.

It feeds on a rather herbivorous diet of dates, plants and some wheatmeal.This information is rare and I checked, was not found on the net, hope you saw this answer.