It was 30 years ago that the family pet went missing and it wasn't until recently that they discovered what happened to Manueala the Turtle. 

it seems Manuela was hanging out for 30 years in the upstairs storeroom where Leonel Almeida, the father, kept all sorts of old junk he hadn't gotten around to fixing up.

When Leonel died earlier this month, Leandro and his siblings decided to clean out the storeroom, and that's how Manuela came to be by the curb.

According to veterinary scientist Jeferson Pires, tortoises like Manuela are remarkably resilient creatures, and can survive two to three years without eating anything. While they typically subsist on an omnivore's diet in the wild, the Almeidas think Manuela got by on termites.

That is an actual picture of Manuela after she was discovered. 

I don't care what my rabbit friends say...turtles rule!