A Tortoise Hidden Beneath the Floor for Years #animals #shorts

On 7 February 2025, a builder investigating damp beneath an outbuilding in Itacajá, Brazil, uncovered a living tortoise under the floor tiles. The homeowners believed it had arrived in a load of gravel delivered over 9 years earlier, when the building was constructed. The exact time it spent beneath the floor remains unknown. Tortoises are ectothermic, meaning their body temperature depends largely on their surroundings. They use less energy than similarly sized mammals because they do not maintain a constantly high body temperature through internal heat production. This helps explain their ability to endure long gaps between meals. A biologist consulted about the discovery suggested that soil insects provided food, while small openings allowed oxygen and moisture to enter. The animal was identified as a likely yellow-footed tortoise, a species that eats both plant and animal material. Some tortoise species also conserve energy through aestivation, a period of reduced activity during hot or dry conditions. Their metabolism slows while essential bodily functions continue. Whether this particular tortoise entered aestivation was not established. Survival still required energy, oxygen and water throughout its confinement. #animals #wildlife #nature #natureholic #tortoise #AnimalSurvival Nature, wildlife, animals, animal facts, wildlife facts, nature facts, amazing animals, wild animals, animal shorts, wildlife shorts, nature shorts, animal videos, wildlife videos, nature videos, tortoise, tortoise survival, yellow-footed tortoise, tortoise metabolism, reptile adaptations, aestivation