# Can anyone help identify my tortoise?



## Leeshydm (May 5, 2021)

Hello everyone so this lil guy was chilling by our front door in our driveway one morning, our neighbors have desert tortoises that have babies pretty frequent and get out often so we assumed he was a desert tortoise but I was told our tortoise is not a desert tortoise could any help identify him by these pictures I have? Thank you in advance.


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## Yvonne G (May 5, 2021)

It's a sulcata that's been kept in a too dry habitat. Go to the sulcata section here and read our care sheet. Your tortoise is still pretty young. Did you advertise to find his owner?


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## Leeshydm (May 5, 2021)

Yvonne G said:


> It's a sulcata that's been kept in a too dry habitat. Go to the sulcata section here and read our care sheet. Your tortoise is still pretty young. Did you advertise to find his owner?


Yes and no one answered and our neighbors didn't care.


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## Toddrickfl1 (May 5, 2021)

Yvonne G said:


> It's a sulcata that's been kept in a too dry habitat. Go to the sulcata section here and read our care sheet. Your tortoise is still pretty young. Did you advertise to find his owner?[


[/edit]I Ithink it might be a desert tortoise. It has that one scute directly behind the head that Sulcatas don't usually have.


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## Toddrickfl1 (May 5, 2021)

Yvonne G said:


> It's a sulcata that's been kept in a too dry habitat. Go to the sulcata section here and read our care sheet. Your tortoise is still pretty young. Did you advertise to find his owner?


I think it might be a desert tortoise. It has that one scute directly behind the head that Sulcatas don't usually have.


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## TeamZissou (May 5, 2021)

I vote DT as well, due to the nuchal scute and legs


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## pacific chelonians (May 5, 2021)

I vote desert tortoise probably native I would let it go


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## KarenSoCal (May 5, 2021)

I think it's a desert tortoise also, but I think it's been captive raised.

Wild tortoises rarely have any pyramiding at all.

It's sure light-colored though.


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## Yvonne G (May 6, 2021)

Toddrickfl1 said:


> I think it might be a desert tortoise. It has that one scute directly behind the head that Sulcatas don't usually have.


Yes, I agree. I saw the front legs and thought 'desert tortoise', but the coloring was fooling me.


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## Jon G. (May 7, 2021)

I found these pictures of juvenile desert tortoises online...


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## Juniper619 (May 7, 2021)

This is definitely a desert tortoise. I have one that wondered into my backyard last summer. He was covered in ants when we found him. I took to the vet and he give the little guy a shot. He advised me to keep inside a few days and to contact my local tortoise group. Here in Nevada you can keep one outdoor as long as you build a suitable burrow for them. The group comes to your home to inspect the burrow and tag your tortoise with its own ID number in case they escape. Don’t worry they use putty to attach the tag to their shell.


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## Leeshydm (May 7, 2021)

Juniper619 said:


> This is definitely a desert tortoise. I have one that wondered into my backyard last summer. He was covered in ants when we found him. I took to the vet and he give the little guy a shot. He advised me to keep inside a few days and to contact my local tortoise group. Here in Nevada you can keep one outdoor as long as you build a suitable burrow for them. The group comes to your home to inspect the burrow and tag your tortoise with its own ID number in case they escape. Don’t worry they use putty to attach the tag to their shell.


Thank you for the info. ?


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