Please help me identify this tortoise

[Vercogen]

Our neighbor brought the lttle guy over to show my son, apparently about 100 hatched in their back yard.

I want to identify it, to know what to feed him.

http://mybroadband.co.za/photos/showphoto.php/photo/13809

Is it legal to keep him?

What do i feed him?

I searched all over the internet, but couldn't identify it

 

[Mars]

Yes! Thats a Tortoise.

Happy to help

 

[arf9999]

Can you post a pic that's in focus?

All tortoises are protected by law in South Africa and may not be killed, captured or kept in captivity. The only reason to pick one up would be to remove it to a place of safety from a position where it was unlikely to survive - e.g. - a busy road or from the threat of an approaching fire. If picked up the animal should be released as near as possible to the place it was located. In the Cape, especially, where species distribution is limited by habitat, untold harm will be done by releasing the captured animal into the distribution area of another species or where it may not have the correct food plants.

see if you can identify it here:
http://www.chelonia.org/South_Africa_gallery.htm

 

[waynegohl]

Yes! Thats a Tortoise.

Happy to help

aaah yes! and just to add it looks like the common PalmTop garden variety tortoise. very rare because once they grow bigger they become the common DeskTop variety.

 

[Pitbull]

Leopard Tortoise?

edit:
http://www.menandpets.com/en_geochelone_pardalis.htm

 

[Sensorei]

Phone the SPCA and they will arrange for the tortoises to be collected and taken to somewhere safe in their natural habitat. They'll be much happier than they will be in your garden looking for petunias.

 

[Mars]

aaah yes! and just to add it looks like the common PalmTop garden variety tortoise. very rare because once they grow bigger they become the common DeskTop variety.

And, if you stuck a usb cable in his jack he is the right size to be a mouse. Probably be to slow for fps and the such tho.

 

[Vercogen]

Leopard Tortoise?

edit:
http://www.menandpets.com/en_geochelone_pardalis.htm

Was my first guess as well, but the shell doesn't quite look the same.

 

[Pitbull]

Was my first guess as well, but the shell doesn't quite look the same.

There is a different version: Geochelone pardalis babcocki

I'll try google it quick

edit:
Try and see if you find something similiar here:
http://images.google.co.za/images?h...ardalis+babcocki&btnG=Search&aq=f&oq=&start=0

 

[waynegohl]

And, if you stuck a usb cable in his jack he is the right size to be a mouse. Probably be to slow for fps and the such tho.

yip true but once out of their shell they be lightning fast.

 

[Vercogen]

Phone the SPCA and they will arrange for the tortoises to be collected and taken to somewhere safe in their natural habitat. They'll be much happier than they will be in your garden looking for petunias.

Yeah thinking of putting it back somewhere, but its still so small and i don't live in Cape Town, the SPCA here will probably cook it and eat it,

 

[technofool]

That looks like an Angulate tortoise Check them out here http://www.carecentre.org.za/angulate.html

 

[HapticSimian]

Does look like a leopard tortoise. We had a straggler a couple of months ago as well - got in touch with FreeMe in Fourways & they eventually released him in the Cradle somewhere out towards Muldersdrift... I might still have the chick's details somewhere if you need them.

He took a liking to green beans during the 2 or 3 days we had him before I could get him to the guys at FreeMe. They did advise us to steer clear of lettuce, though - almost 0% nutritional value.

 

[werner]

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