A Sulcata tortoise (Geochelone [Centrochelys] Sulcata) that wandered away from its fenced yard has been found seven miles from its home, thanks i
A Sulcata tortoise (Geochelone [Centrochelys] Sulcata) that wandered away from its fenced yard has been found seven miles from its home, thanks in part to Facebook.
Bradley Clark who raised the 50-pound tortoise since she was a hatchling reported her missing on Sunday, escaping through a damaged portion of his fence. She only wandered a 100 feet or so from his home when two teenaged girls happened upon him. The girls thought that Frank was a wood turtle and released him into a nearby field.
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According to Michigan Live, Clark said that he received about 100 tips about the tortoise and followed up with a woman who said she tool a picture of Frank and more importantly, told him that two girls talked about releasing the chelonian into a field. She didn’t know the names of the girls but knew the high school they graduated from as well as the color of their hair. Clark then went onto Facebook with this information and started messaging all the girls at the high school who were on Facebook asking if they had seen Frank.
One of the girls was found and Clark spoke with her father, who said that they let Frank go into the woods, mistakingly thinking she was a wood turtle. Clark met with the father and the girl, who showed him where the tortoise was released. After posting flyers, he finally found Frank after two days of searching in what he described as some of the roughest terrain in Michigan.
John B. Virata keeps a western hognose snake, a ball python, two corn snakes, a king snake, and two leopard geckos. His first snake, a California kingsnake, was purchased at the Pet Place in Westminster, CA for $5. His first pet reptile was a green anole that arrived in a small box via mail order. Follow him on Twitter @johnvirata
