Fernanda the Stealthy Sulcata Tortoise

Story by: Nick Massimo, MS

It’s Friday; that means we could all use a feel-good story to cap off the week!

In November of 2022, a pet sulcata tortoise (Centrochelys sulcata) named Fernanda escaped its outside enclosure in northern Phoenix, Arizona.  This species of tortoise is non-native to the United States and can normally be found spanning multiple countries across Africa.  The tortoise at the center of this story was purchased as a pet.  In this case, a very stealthy, 40-pound Fernanda seemingly vanished without a trace.

The owners tried to find their beloved girl, but after searching the neighborhood they feared she might be gone forever.  For months, they posted to social media and in the neighborhood in hopes that someone might find her.  Unfortunately, days turned to months without her being found.

Fast forward nearly 6 months, and Snake Guru gets a call about a big tortoise in someone’s front yard.  This good samaritan (Kyle Terry), was incredibly kind and stayed with the tortoise to make sure she didn’t get run over in traffic.  Kyle even provided a hungry Fernanda with water and some leafy greens.  The world needs more people like Kyle!  After Snake Guru arrived, we quickly realized this was not a native species, and most likely an escaped/released pet.

With a little luck and the power of the internet, Snake Guru was able to find posts online about a family having their female sulcata tortoise escape their yard in November of 2022!

Please keep in mind, this tortoise was found in a densely populated area of the city, not near any large portions of natural habitat.  This species of tortoise is not expected to fare well in Arizona during winter due to the low winter temperature.  At the Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary, additional heating sources are provided during the winter for many non-native species, especially on very cold days.

Best we know, Fernanda found a very special spot to settle down into for the last several months.  During that time, she traveled at least a mile, probably more, before our hero Kyle stepped in to save the day.

The following morning, Fernanda was reunited with her proper owners.  She was able to be positively identified by some distinguishing characteristics on a few places on her shell.  After a few minutes of being back home, Fernanda was happily munching away on the grass in the backyard, joined by the company of backyard chickens and a beehive.  Talk about an extremely memorable, happy ending after six months of waiting!

Both videos provided as a courtesy of Kyle Terry.