Tommy the tortoise has left his owners shell-shocked after he turned out to be a SHE after 50 years in the family - and laid eight eggs in their garden.
The lumbering reptile has been a beloved member of the Carlton family since it was bought in 1957. It was named Tommy, as he was presumed to be male and did nothing to contradict them for 50 years - until now.
Owner Peter Carlton, 70, a retired builder, spotted two white objects when he went to take Tommy in for the night and realised they were eggs.
He said: "I put him back on the ground and in the next half-hour six more were laid in front of me.
"I was absolutely gobsmacked - I called my wife Mary to say Tommy was laying eggs, but she did not believe it either." Grandfather-of-two Peter, from Paignton, Devon, said: "Tommy was bought in Derby 50 years ago by my father-in-law as a pet for one of our children when they were much younger and still living at home
We've never known how old a beast he is but he was already quite big when we got him in 1957.
"Although we had four tortoises at one time, Tommy has been alone for 25 years so there is no way the eggs can be fertile. "The vet told us more eggs could even be laid later in the year. We just don't know why this has happened after all these years.
"I'm finding it hard to get used to the gender change - we will have to think about renaming her but we don't yet know what it will be."
A tortoise expert from Paignton Zoo said Tommy might have laid eggs in the past which the Carltons did not spot.
He explained: "It is very unlikely that a female would suddenly start to lay eggs after so long.
"The most logical explanation is that she has laid eggs before but they haven't been found.
"Tortoises will hide their eggs well." Tortoises are herbivores that eat grass, weeds, leafy greens and some fruits and have been known to live for more than 150 years.
The Dailymail
