A 'rogue' pet tortoise has been found wandering near a cycle trail in Exmouth.

The tortoise, believed to be male Hermann's tortoise, was found roaming near Exmouth's section of the Exe Estuary Trail yesterday morning.

It was handed into We Do Reptiles, a specialist reptile shop on Exeter Road, shortly after being found.

Nub News spoke to the owner of We Do Reptiles, Sophie Bain, today to find out more about the 'rogue' tortoise and to help reunite him with his owners.

"It's surprising how far they can travel," said Sophie. "At this time of the year it is fairly common for tortoises to go walkabout as owners often put them out in the garden.

"People don't realise how far they can dig or how well they can climb. Even when people move into a new property a tortoise may appear in their garden which belongs to the house's previous owner.

"They are very well adapted to live in our environment and can pretty much live wild in this area."

Sophie thinks the tortoise is at least 20 years old due to the condition of its shell but it could be anything up to 80 years old.

Sophie added: "He looks quite healthy and has already been drinking. He's pretty active and his shell is quite worn but that can come with age.

"We're quite lucky, the people who brought him into us have a large garden and have volunteered to take him in, if the owner does not come forward.

"For any tortoise owners out there it might be a good idea to get yours microchipped so if they do escape they can be easily returned to their owner. The rogue one brought to us was not chipped."

We Do Reptiles is keen to reunite the tortoise with its owner but will require proof of ownership. The above image is a stock picture because the shop will be asking the owner to provide pictures of their tortoise or a description of the tortoise's markings to ensure he is returned to the right people.

If you have lost a tortoise this week please get in touch with We Do Reptiles either by calling 01395 267 022 or via the shop's Facebook page.