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Look Who’s Been Hanging Around My Yard – A Tortoise!

This red-footed tortoise has been hanging out in my yard for a few days.

I was outside doing a little gardening yesterday when I saw something low to the ground slowing moving across my lawn. I walked over to get a closer look, and to my surprise, it was an adorable little tortoise! I watched him (or perhaps her) wander over to the gut, and I continued planting.

Fast forward to this morning… I was just outside again when my cat darted across the yard. We live in Fish Bay, so we have numerous iguanas and deer out here. I figured she must have seen one. I walked over to her, and there he was again – the tortoise!

So many people who come to St. John are fixated on our turtles (rightfully so!), but did you know that tortoises live here too? The one I keep seeing is red-footed tortoise, which was native to South America. According to Coral World, the aquarium over in St. Thomas, it is believed that the Carib Indians introduced the red-footed tortoise to St. John as a food source hundreds of years ago. Apparently they were a great animal to take on a canoe because they can go days without food or water.

We’re clearly not eating them out in Fish Bay, but I enjoy watching them, and I know you do too. Check out this quick video I took:


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