Found tortoise on Towpath in Rugby

[Starcoaster]

I've found a tortoise on the towpath of the North Oxford near Rugby.

It's um-got four legs, a shell and all of the usual tortoise bits. It appears to be healthy and is tame.

The shell is about 14cm long by 12 wide.

Currently awaiting RSPCA pickup, meanwhile it is shitting all over my cat carrier.

Please get in touch if it might be yours...

[The Bagdad Boatman (waits)]

could it be a Terrapin? they are comon in the canals. If tortoise could not have traveled far.

Edited August 18, 2016 by The Bagdad Boatman (waits)

[Starcoaster]

No it's definitely a tortoise.

Also, tortoises may be slow, but they don't half march along when they set their minds to it!

Edited August 18, 2016 by Starcoaster

[RLWP]

No it's definitely a tortoise.

Also, tortoises may be slow, but they don't half march along when they set their minds to it!

 

Tortoises are not particularly slow, they just never run. They also climb well, are sex mad and surprisingly violent!

 

Lots of character in a repulsive kind of way

 

Richard

Edited August 18, 2016 by RLWP

[Flyboy]

Were there any houses near the towpath where you found it ?

[KevMc]

I've found a tortoise on the towpath of the North Oxford near Rugby.

It's um-got four legs, a shell and all of the usual tortoise bits. It appears to be healthy and is tame.

The shell is about 14cm long by 12 wide.

Currently awaiting RSPCA pickup, meanwhile it is shitting all over my cat carrier.

Please get in touch if it might be yours...

 

Just wondering how you decided it was tame

[Dave Payne]

I saw one on the Ashby a few months ago, just near the sailing club, was bloody huge and was perched on a log on the off side.

 

Did wonder where it came from.

[billS]

Is it a lady tortoise, or a gentleman?

[Starcoaster]

The RSPCA has it now. I know it is tame because it was amenable to being picked up without hiding or biting.

None of the boats moored nearby owned it, and behind the towpath is a large swathe of fields before you get to any houses.

I reckon someone in one of the houses let it into the garden as the weather is nice, without realising that they climb and walk a lot!

[RLWP]

Is it a lady tortoise, or a gentleman?

 

Not particularly easy to tell. In theory, as a child we had one of each sex. The male has a concave underneath so they don't fall off during mating. The 'female' was almost flat, but still slightly concave, so probably also a male. Which would explain why they were always fighting

 

Richard

The RSPCA has it now. I know it is tame because it was amenable to being picked up without hiding or biting.

None of the boats moored nearby owned it, and behind the towpath is a large swathe of fields before you get to any houses.

I reckon someone in one of the houses let it into the garden as the weather is nice, without realising that they climb and walk a lot!

 

An encounter with an interesting animal. Well, bloody boring for kids, but interesting to adults

 

Richard

[Starcoaster]

I couldn't decide for sure on the sex, in terms of the shape under the tail. I've not had a lot to do with tortoises in clinics, as they are classed as exotics.

Fun fact: When you microchip a tortoise, you have to glue the skin closed over it.

[Athy]

I've found a tortoise.

It's um-got four legs, a shell and all of the usual tortoise bits.

 

The shell is about 14cm long by 12 wide.

 

Ah, it's a metric tortoise. It must be an immigrant. Oh hang on, they all are if you go back far enough.

[KevMc]

The RSPCA has it now. I know it is tame because it was amenable to being picked up without hiding or biting.

None of the boats moored nearby owned it, and behind the towpath is a large swathe of fields before you get to any houses.

I reckon someone in one of the houses let it into the garden as the weather is nice, without realising that they climb and walk a lot!

 

I had an image in my mind of a tortoise on its hind legs snapping at you as you tried to help it ..... feeling silly this afternoon

[Starcoaster]

As someone else said, "How do you know it is tame? Did you throw a stick and it brought it back?"

[junior]

Erm...you can't say "shitting" on here these days you know.

[ditchcrawler]

The RSPCA has it now. I know it is tame because it was amenable to being picked up without hiding or biting.

None of the boats moored nearby owned it, and behind the towpath is a large swathe of fields before you get to any houses.

I reckon someone in one of the houses let it into the garden as the weather is nice, without realising that they climb and walk a lot!

Or dug under the fence, ours use to do that to get out of his run. As someone else said they can cover a good distance, ours did several hundred yards in an afternoon.

[RLWP]

Or dug under the fence, ours use to do that to get out of his run. As someone else said they can cover a good distance, ours did several hundred yards in an afternoon.

 

Climbing wire netting is impressive too

 

Richard

[Starcoaster]

I called him Thor.

[Athy]

He looks really happy to have been picked up!

This reminds me that my late father used to assume a very similar facial expression when displeased (often), which led me to nickname him "Terryman", as in terrapin-faced. I'd forgotten all about that. He even had quite red ears.

[haggis]

I used to have two tortoises called Jeremy and Everard. Named thus as I didn't think they would care what they were called but one of them was a bad choice of name as they spent most of the summer mating. A lot of local children learned some of the facts of life from watching my tortoises :-) . They made a terrible racket as the shells came in contact. She laid a few eggs but I never managed to get any to hatch.

 

haggis

[Athy]

I used to have two tortoises called Jeremy and Everard. Named thus as I didn't think they would care what they were called but one of them was a bad choice of name as they spent most of the summer mating. A lot of local children learned some of the facts of life from watching my tortoises :-) . They made a terrible racket as the shells came in contact. She laid a few eggs but I never managed to get any to hatch.

 

haggis

Well one of them was aptly named, if he was ever 'ard.

[Guest]

I found one a couple of years ago at Christelton just outside of Chester. He had swum across the canal and climbed out. We managed to find the owner but I would have kept it otherwise. Turned out the Tortoise was close to 70 years old.

[Ray T]

Got to dig this up again!

 

I say, I say, who was the terrapin I saw you with last night?

That was no terrapin that was our teacher - she taught us!

[Athy]

Don't give up the day job.

[Ray T]

Don't give up the day job.

 

Erm I haven't got one, wonder why?