This Tortoise Esaped After Her Home Went Up in Flames

It is difficult to watch. A sound-asleep tortoise is stuck in her home as it erupts into flames. Thanks to the fact that she kept her wits about her, this tortoise escaped an inferno. But everything could have gone very differently if the tortoise had hesitated at all or if neighbors had not sprung into action at the first sight of smoke and fire.

A Narrow Escape

In a now viral video, a tortoise was captured on camera retreating from her home in Fullerton, California, as it went up in flames. On February 8, Super Bowl Sunday, Leo the tortoise was left outside to enjoy some time in her backyard home. Complete with a heat lamp, Leo tucked herself into her straw bed to catch a much-needed afternoon nap.

As Leo slumbered, the heat lamp that kept her home at a consistent temperature malfunctioned. A fire erupted from the roof and quickly spread throughout the tortoise’s home. While this happened, video footage from a camera inside the home shows that Leo was none the wiser, sleeping through the fire.

Suddenly, Leo wakes and recognizes that something is amiss. While there is momentary panic, Leo composes herself and gets out of the structure. A second camera catches Leo as she moves away from her home at top speed before being caught in the flames. Neighbors spotted the fire and quickly worked to put it out before it could spread to the house or other nearby structures.

Did Leo Suffer Any Injuries as Her House Became an Inferno?

After Leo’s owners were alerted to what happened, they returned home to find Leo safe. It appeared that she did not have any burns and was physically fine from the incident.

However, according to Hyeri Tom, one of Leo’s owners, in the days after the fire, Leo was not acting like herself. Instead, the tortoise had no energy and was not eating. This was attributed to “inflammation in her bronchioles,” according to the vet.

Leo was sent home with medications and was prescribed a daily saline treatment. Leo now spends 15 minutes per day in her “hot box” as she recovers. But according to updates from Tom, Leo is recovering well.

Leo Is “Out of Sorts” Without Her Home

Leo has been roaming the backyard since the fire happened, but she is “out of sorts,” according to Tom. This is because everything familiar to Leo has been destroyed, and she must now navigate her environment without the sense of security her outdoor home once provided.

“Leo, our brave tortoise, is having a tough time adjusting after the recent upheaval in her environment,” Tom writes in a TikTok video caption. “Tortoises, like Leo, thrive on routine and familiarity, needing the comfort of their known space, the same smells, and their favorite little corners to explore. This ensures they feel safe and secure, essential for their well-being.”

Tom goes on to explain that the family is “committed” to “building a stronger house and safer setup” so that Leo can enjoy the backyard as she once did.

“The journey to building Leo’s new safe space is vital not just for her comfort but for her overall health and happiness,” Tom explains. “By addressing her needs, we’re not just providing a physical structure; we’re giving her the security she craves.”

Can Tortoises Be Speedy?

As seen in the video of Leo charging away from the structure as it went up in flames, tortoises can move much faster than usual in emergencies. Does this mean they are moving at high speeds? Absolutely not. But in short bursts, the speed these shell-carrying creatures can move is impressive.

On average, tortoises move at approximately 0.12 miles per hour. The fastest tortoise on record is a Leopard tortoise named Bertie, who moved at 0.62 miles per hour. The exact speed at which Leo was moving in early February is unknown. However, it is clear that Leo knew the fire was dangerous and that she had to move away from her structure as quickly as her legs could carry her to reach safety.

Tortoises Are Much Smarter Than Given Credit For

As the video inside Leo’s structure unfolded, it was not immediately clear whether there would be a happy ending. Would Leo wake up? Would she be smart enough to get out of her outdoor home before it engulfed her in flames? What many do not know is that tortoises are very intelligent animals. More often than not, though, they are not given the credit for their wits that they deserve.

Tortoises move slowly and have small brains. But what they lack in brain size, they make up for in intelligence. Just because tortoises move slowly does not mean their minds work slowly.

Ways that tortoises show their intelligence include:

• Problem-solving skills
• Ability to learn and store information
• Strong social behavior with other tortoises or humans

Just because tortoises move slowly does not mean their minds work slowly. It was thanks to her intelligence that Leo escaped her structure, recognizing danger. Had she not possessed this level of intelligence, the situation would have turned out much differently. Instead, Leo has become a cautionary tale with a happy ending that other tortoise owners can learn from so that situations like this are few and far between.