Just a shell of a home
City: Volunteers lining up to adopt lost tortoise
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| Submitted photo -- O'Fallon Animal Control Officer Dana Hayes holds the tortoise that was found Tuesday. |
City spokesman Tom Drabelle said the city has gotten several calls from people who want to give the tortoise a home, but its true owner hasn't been found.
Mayor Donna Morrow said she is hoping the city can adopt the African spurred tortoise as a mascot.Morrow said the animal raises its head when people approach.
"He's friendly," Morrow said "He wants to be around people."
Animal Control Officer Dana Hayes picked up the creature Tuesday after a Royal Oak subdivision resident spotted it meandering through her backyard.
The city generally keeps animals to be claimed by owners for five days. Drabelle said if owners were not found by Monday, the city would look for a proper home for the tortoise. He mentioned Grant's Farm or the St. Louis Zoo.
The tortoise weighs 25 to 30 pounds. It is brown and sand colored with markings that may be man-made, officials said.
Tortoises are reptiles that live mainly on land. According to tortoisetrust.org, African spurred tortoises can grow to weigh as much as 240 pounds, though they weigh an average of 70 to 100 pounds.
Drabelle said he's gotten more calls about the tortoise than anything he's dealt with since his employment with the city began in February.
To claim the tortoise, the owner should call the O'Fallon Police Department at (636) 240-3200. Proof of ownership will be required to collect the animal.
