# i need help! new turtle



## takil (Mar 8, 2012)

im posting here for some help and advise, please let me know if any thing i am doing in not right or if you have any thing to add.


So lets start with the story..
i live in the the middle of florida around the orlando area..(dont know if the location will help) my wife is driving and im checking some stuff on my cell when she swerves and jams on her breaks saying something about not running â€œitâ€ over... she then turns around and says â€œomg it isâ€ i get out to fine a small shelled friend. I see turtles/tortoise on the road a bit around here and im the person you will see running in to 5 lanes of interstate traffic to get it off the road so they are not ran over. This time im a little worried about just moving this little guy off the road because it looks like a baby so i bring him home....i stop by a pet store and grab a home for him and some supplies but im not sure what im doing...









so i have been doing some research and after a visit to a reptile vet this is what i have so far:

I think its a baby sulcata
i have not gotten him to eat yet but i found the following diet im going to get some of this stuff first thing tomorrow :

â€œNo meat or fruits!!! Never!! This is important. The worst thing you could do is give them too much protein. The best thing they can eat is hay. Just not alfalfa hay because it has a lot of protein in it as well. Grasses are also recommended. Just make sure you grow your own and they dont get exposed to any with pesticides in it. 

NEVER give them: cheese, dog food, peas or beans, commercial tortoise diet, fruit, grains, or veggies in large quantities. 

At least 75% of their diet should be: 
Buffalo grass (Buchloe dactyloides) 
Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon -- which actually originated in Africa!) 
Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata) 
Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) 
Little Bluestem (Andropogon scoparious) 
Western wheatgrass (Agropyron smithii) 
Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis) 
Arizona Fescue (Festuca arizonica) 
Lawn Fescue (Festuca arundinacea) 
Sheep Fescue (Festuca ovina) 
Creeping Red Fescue (Festuca rubra) 

The rest should be edible weeds such as: 
Dandelion -- both the yellow flowers and the leaves 
Prickly Pear Cactus pads (Opuntia species) -- You can scrape off the needles with a sharp knife or burn them off by holding the pad over the flame of a gas or propane camp stove. 
Broadleaf Plaintain or Buckhorn Plantain (Plantago major or Plantago lanceola) 
Globe Mallow (Sphaeralcea grossulariaefolia) -- flowers and leaves 
London Rocket or Tumble Mustard -- leaves only; they tend to reject the flowers 
Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) -- flowers and leaves 
Hollyhock (Alcea rosea) -- flowers and leaves 
Roses (Rosa species) -- flowers only 
Sowthistle 
Chickweed 
Hibiscus (Hibiscus species) -- flowers and leaves 
Mulberry (Morus species) -- leaves only; give the mulberry fruit to box turtles. 
Geranium (Pelargonium species) -- leaves and flowâ€



AS far as his home:

i have him in a glass terrarium that is using coconut shavings for bedding, I have a small walk in food bowl and one for water, i treat the water with reptisafe. I keep the temp at 85 during the day with both UVA and UVB bulbs and the humidity above 80% as much as possible by spraying the glass with treated water as well. durning the night i have a night bulb and i keep it around 80.






i plan on making an out door pin when he gets a little bigger but not worrying about it right now.



no im a little worried that he is not eating or drinking...he just buries him self in the bedding and stays there...i can put him in his food or water bowl but he dosnt seem to eat or drinks just chills and then at some point he will get out and buries him self

i really like the little guy but every thing i know i learned over a few days and im not 100% sure what is right...

once i get him the right food im hoeing he will eat and i am going to be putting some calcium stuff on it,



i really need to know if there is anything i should be doing or something i said that i should not be doing for this guy or even if it is a sulcata.


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## Cadance (Mar 9, 2012)

I don't know much more then what you do I am new to the life of having torts. But the one thing that happened with mine when I got them was that they didn't really eat for about a week. Which I was told by a reptile vet that this was ok because they where just trying to get used to their new home but to start to worry if they didn't start eating soon. So I would say give him time and just keep offering him food and keep water in there a well.  he is a cute little guy though. One thing I would make the out door pin large seeing as that kind of tort if that really is what he is can get quite large.


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## Tom (Mar 9, 2012)

Hello and welcome. That is not a sulcata. It looks similar to a CA desert tortoise, so given your location I'm going to guess that it is a FL gopher tortoise, Gopherus polyphemus. I have no experience with that species. I know the adults are much darker, but I don't think I've ever seen a baby like yours. Hopefully some of our members with some G. polyphemus experience will confirm my guess. If it is a FL gopher, I'd take it back and release near where you found it, but somewhere away from roads. If you are going to keep it you will need a much larger enclosure.

If you set it up according to the care sheet at the top of the sulcata page, you should be fine.

You'll need a new reptile vet if they told you that was a sulcata. Their diet info is also straight out of a 1996 website. Hay is not a suitable food for babies, and alfalfa and legumes are fine in moderation. The other diet info is fine.

Good luck. Keep us posted.


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## takil (Mar 9, 2012)

Tom said:


> Hello and welcome. That is not a sulcata. It looks similar to a CA desert tortoise, so given your location I'm going to guess that it is a FL gopher tortoise, Gopherus polyphemus. I have no experience with that species. I know the adults are much darker, but I don't think I've ever seen a baby like yours. Hopefully some of our members with some G. polyphemus experience will confirm my guess. If it is a FL gopher, I'd take it back and release near where you found it, but somewhere away from roads. If you are going to keep it you will need a much larger enclosure.
> 
> If you set it up according to the care sheet at the top of the sulcata page, you should be fine.
> 
> ...



Tom thank you for the information...im a little up set, if it is a Gopherus polyphemus i think they are protected here in florida and i cant even keep it. What is really lame is i took it to a fish and wildlife area to make sure it was NOT a gopher and they took one look at it and said no.
i think im going to see if i can find some one with more knowledge of turtles in this area to take it to.


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## Tom (Mar 9, 2012)

I have no idea what a baby FL gopher looks like colorwise, but as far as shape, that's it. If you were in CA, I would be pretty sure that it is a CA desert tortoise. It is physically possible that someone in FL has CDTs and one was either released or escaped. Not likely, but possible.

Someone who knows the FL Gophers will be along soon to correct our ignorance.


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## StudentoftheReptile (Mar 9, 2012)

takil said:


> What is really lame is i took it to a fish and wildlife area to make sure it was NOT a gopher and they took one look at it and said no.
> i think im going to see if i can find some one with more knowledge of turtles in this area to take it to.



LOL...I would have gotten it in writing to cover your butt. Then, if anyone else said otherwise, you'd hypothetically be in the clear since a wildlife agent was on record stating it wasn't a gopher! 

I have seen baby gophers here in Alabama, and that's what it looks like to me, though.

Try this thread for more info: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Baby-Gopher-Diet#axzz1od2c1XsK


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## Yvonne G (Mar 9, 2012)

Hi takil:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

I'm with Tom. The color isn't correct, but it looks like a gopher tortoise. And you're correct, they are protected in Florida. I don't think you're allowed to have them.

Here's a link to a picture of a hatchling gopher tortoise: 

http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&...tp://www.fau.edu/divdept/honcol/academics_par

What would you like us to call you?


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## Tom (Mar 9, 2012)

takil said:


> Tom thank you for the information...im a little up set, if it is a Gopherus polyphemus i think they are protected here in florida and i cant even keep it. What is really lame is i took it to a fish and wildlife area to make sure it was NOT a gopher and they took one look at it and said no.
> i think im going to see if i can find some one with more knowledge of turtles in this area to take it to.



Isn't it great that the people who make and enforce the wildlife laws in our country are so knowledgeable about the subject that their career is based upon?


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## tortadise (Mar 9, 2012)

Most definitely a Florida gopher. I've hatched a few clutches some turned out rather light colored like this one. Being a prophecies species the best suggestion I would give is to get with Florida parks and wildlife they can give you numerous facilities that are permitted to handle this species around your location. Beautiful baby though, I just love their gular scute.


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## StudentoftheReptile (Mar 9, 2012)

tortshack said:


> Being a prophecies species...



Autocorrect, much? lol 

What makes gopher tortoises so prophetic?


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## tortadise (Mar 9, 2012)

Lol. I hate the iPhone. That is kinda funny though.

If you don't mind taking the wee one to new Smyrna theres the valusia county wildlife rehab center. They deal with a bunch of gopher torts in situations like these.

Phone number is 386-736-5927. Hope they can help you out.


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## harris (Mar 9, 2012)

Not only is the tortoise protected in Fla, their burrows are as well. To keep it you're going to have to obtain a permit. Otherwise if caught with it, you're looking at possible jail time; at the very least a hefty fine. Good luck.


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## takil (Mar 9, 2012)

thanks every one, i have left a message with FL wild life turtle "expert" so we will see what they say, i was so excited to get a shelled friend, and put a little bit of money out for the stuff... if i cant keep him i guess ill look for one i can. ill keep every one informed


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## takil (Mar 9, 2012)

oh thanks!!! im not to far from there ill give them a call and take it to them ASAP



tortshack said:


> Lol. I hate the iPhone. That is kinda funny though.
> 
> If you don't mind taking the wee one to new Smyrna theres the valusia county wildlife rehab center. They deal with a bunch of gopher torts in situations like these.
> 
> Phone number is 386-736-5927. Hope they can help you out.


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## Jacqui (Mar 9, 2012)

takil said:


> thanks every one, i have left a message with FL wild life turtle "expert" so we will see what they say, i was so excited to get a shelled friend, and put a little bit of money out for the stuff... if i cant keep him i guess ill look for one i can. ill keep every one informed



If you can't keep him (which I am expecting to be the case) there are no shortages of other tortoises out there who would love to come be yours.


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## ALDABRAMAN (Mar 9, 2012)

It looks like a Florida Gopher for sure. Misdemeanor to have in any way without permits. I would take him where you picked him up at and release back into the area in a safe off the road location.


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## cdmay (Mar 9, 2012)

I'm late on this one but like everybody everybody else (except for the FWC who often has no idea what they are talking about) said, that is a neonate gopher tortoise.


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## bholmes88 (Mar 9, 2012)

I want one of our native tortoises so bad! I wanted to adopt a cdt or sulcata before I purchased a tort, but for the life of me I can not find anywhere that has one for adoption. Sorry for hijacking the thread. If it was me I would release it back where I found it.


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## takil (Mar 9, 2012)

Jacqui said:


> takil said:
> 
> 
> > thanks every one, i have left a message with FL wild life turtle "expert" so we will see what they say, i was so excited to get a shelled friend, and put a little bit of money out for the stuff... if i cant keep him i guess ill look for one i can. ill keep every one informed
> ...



lol. i have already made up my mine i will have a tortoises pet after being with this little guy, he is so cute and they seem like a really good pet to have.


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## takil (Mar 9, 2012)

i would of normally left him where i found him but there is no wooded area close to there...just houses and roads, i don't fell its safe from him. never got a call back from the person at FWC i left a message with going to the place in symerna first thing tomorrow morning if they are open.


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## takil (Mar 10, 2012)

just an quick update... i have yet to get in touch with any one from fish and wiled here in florida....


on the good news, the little guy is eating now. i noticed that half the stuff i put in there yesterday was gone and this morning he is chowing down... it makes me sad that he is now making him self at home and i will have to give him up soon. At least i know I'm doing a good job with him/her.


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## drgnfly2265 (Mar 10, 2012)

Cute little guy. Glad you got it off the road, I would have done the same thing. It does suck that you aren't even allowed to touch them. If you are caught it can be a huge fine or jail time like others have said. I usually take pics of them and thats it. Never had the chance to see one that small though. Thank you for sharing! I hope you find a safe spot for it


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## SulcataSquirt (Mar 10, 2012)

I would look into getting a permit for him and keep him if possible.


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## EKLC (Apr 10, 2012)

How is the little guy doing? 

Are you still looking for a place to take this guy? I am in Gainesville and my girlfriend works at the zoo here. They have gopher tortoises and hatchlings. I am sure they would be able to provide a good home for him. If you would like I could try to work something out and get him to the zoo.


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## takil (Apr 16, 2012)

EKLC said:


> How is the little guy doing?
> 
> Are you still looking for a place to take this guy? I am in Gainesville and my girlfriend works at the zoo here. They have gopher tortoises and hatchlings. I am sure they would be able to provide a good home for him. If you would like I could try to work something out and get him to the zoo.



He is doing really good. I have him a out side pin but i do need to get hime out a little more. He eats really well but some days he will skip on the food..and he loves to be picked up. I really thank you for your offer but he is part of the family now.


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## bholmes88 (Apr 17, 2012)

So they did give you a permit?


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