Strange Tortoise -- In The Jungle That My Cat Discovered

[MisterMan]

I live next to a "plot" of jungle..... off a busy road and today the cat was interested in something making a lot of rustling noise.. I saw the heand and thought it was a snake till I saw the whole thing...

I never hard of a jungle tortoise!

I tried to give it some veg but it was not interested .. I did take him close to my garden but felt bad and put him back ( 5meters away) where I found him.. really strange. We have bats/snakes/rats/random kittens that show up/ dogs etc but this?

[Goshawk]

Its an Elongated Tortoise (Indotestudo elongata)..

Thank goodness you put it back where you found it (no, its not an escaped pet). It's a wild animal native to the region and is also on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as: "Endangered"

nice find.. i've never come across one.

[MisterMan]

Its an Elongated Tortoise (Indotestudo elongata)..

Thank goodness you put it back where you found it (no, its not an escaped pet). It's a wild animal native to the region and is also on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as: "Endangered"

nice find.. i've never come across one.

Wow!. Well I only moved it about 5 meters, close to my composte pile but then realized that it was not a good idea if he knew where he was going already etc...

So native to jungles? Pity I think that plot of land is for sale. I wonder what happens when they come in with the bull dozers! Must kill millions of wildlife just with the wheels alone!!

Are they residential? Will he have an area he stays in? The burmese cut a path next to my house in the jungle (where i found him).. so they can get to their rubber (or the landlords rubber) trees easier.

Do locals try to keep them and eat/sell or wear them?

oh now i will worry about the little guy.

THanks for the info!

I didnt find it though the cat did I saw the head and thought it was a snake for the first few seconds!

Edited February 5, 2012 by MisterMan

[Goshawk]

Do locals try to keep them and eat/sell or wear them?

....afraid so. (especially those Burmese you mention, they wouldn't hesitate to pick it up and be straight of to the market with it)

oh now i will worry about the little guy.

...don't worry, you are now at the forefront of wildlife protection ! He's relying on you...

[SimonD]

First a stray cat and now a tortoise? This is starting to sound like a conspiracy dreamt up by your dog. At this rate half the wildlife within a kilometre will be living in your place!

[MisterMan]

The stray cat has been around for months.. the new kitten for about 3.. (2 regular cats years) The dog rescued dog from a Soi Dog volunteer ! years (my idea was to keep stray cats away.. futile) Nevermind the dog moved in next door. I just buy her food.

My neighbor has a inter-species tribe too.. someone knows we live here and dumps the cats! FEEDERS!

I just finally got around to asking about the cat.. been meaning to for ages and since I was here about the the tortoise..