Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I live in East Central Florida and I have a Hermanns tort myself but I was sitting on the porch and saw this tortoise racing across our parking lot. I wanted to know if it is some native species to Florida or if someone lost their pet. I'm not great at guessing, but could it be a gopher tortoise, or did someone lose a sulcata or yellow foot? No Clue.

I didn't feel it was safe for this guy to be in the parking lot right next to a main road so I took him to a wooded area in the back of our condo complex and let him go on his merry way.

Fred

I am not sure about the legalities, but I think you did the right thing. Looks like your native tortoise, the protected/listed Gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus). Thank you for giving it a second chance, it was lucky you came along. Vic H.

like vic said -- looks like a gopher tort, and i think you did the right thing, too...

Thanks. I started reading up on what you should and should not do when finding one. It says if it's in harm's way, you can move it to a safe area so I'll chalk my actions up to that.

Fred