# please help me ID my new rescued tortoise



## Spielberg (Sep 13, 2010)

THIS IS THOMAS


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## MarcyBini (Sep 13, 2010)

It is an African Spur Thigh also known as a Sulcata. I have one too.



MarcyBini said:


> It is an African Spur Thigh also known as a Sulcata. I have one too.



Well I think it is. It has the same colors and Shell looks about the same. I have pictures of mine up on my post from earlier about mines mouth. If you want to check them out. 
Marcy


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## dmmj (Sep 13, 2010)

Looks like a Desert Tortoise to me. I have been wrong before


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## Spielberg (Sep 13, 2010)

MarcyBini said:


> It is an African Spur Thigh also known as a Sulcata. I have one too.
> 
> 
> 
> ...





I thought it was a sulcata too but I have a sulcata and this one looks so different. I will post a picture of mine side by side.


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## Laura (Sep 13, 2010)

my first thought is sulcata due to the legs,, but its shell looks like desert..
Where did you get him? Didnt they know? 
Different rules depending what type it is.. one hiberanates, the other does not. One is legal to own, the other you need permits for and you cant sell them or adopt for $$.


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## Candy (Sep 13, 2010)

I'm not guessing Sulcata, it looks like a Desert Tortoise.  Male.


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## egyptiandan (Sep 13, 2010)

You have a male Desert tortoise, _Gopherus agassizi_ 

Danny


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## Spielberg (Sep 13, 2010)

Will my sulcata and new tortoise get along?


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## Tortuga_terrestre (Sep 13, 2010)

CALIFORNIA DESERT TORTOISE. How did you rescue this tortoise?


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## dmmj (Sep 13, 2010)

you should not keep them together, both for practical reasons and safety reasons.


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## armandoarturo (Sep 13, 2010)

I woudlnt keep them together...
It totally looks like a male desert tortoise to me..
Is it a male or female sulcata?, gular horn looks female for me...
male.. or female.. still wouldnt keep them togheter


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## Spielberg (Sep 13, 2010)

SOOOO, not sure what to do.
A few days ago a friend of mine posted a picture of this tortoise. He said he found the tortoise in his front yard and posted about how nice it is and how it follows him around. He decided he was going to be nice and take it to the desert where it belongs. After many FB post about it probably belonging to someone he decided to go back and see if the tortoise was still where he left him. He found the tortoise in the same spot walking down a path and took it home and put up signs in the neighborhood. He said he was going to put it on his patio until someone calls him. I told him I would take care of it until someone calls because I had a yard and heat lamps. He was also feeding him food that a tortoise should not eat. So that brings us to today when I decided to find out what type of tortoise I am dealing with. I thought he was a sulcata, and now know that it is a desert tortoise. What should I do? Do I take him to the desert, what if does belong to someone? He seems way to nice to be wild.
Tammy


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## dmmj (Sep 13, 2010)

According to California state law once a tortoise is removed from the wild it can not be returned. Try and find out if it has an owner, do not describe the tortoise just say " Found Tortoise please call to describe" If you can not find it's owner either decide to keep it or turn it into your local CTTC chapter


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## armandoarturo (Sep 13, 2010)

The thing is that captive or owned tortoises cant be putted back into the desert for many reasons.
Some of the most important factors are that they are not used to the desert, they are used to have water and food 24/7, and would not make it out there..
Also it may carry bacteria or virus that can be spreaded out there in the wild, and would be catastrofic for desert wid tortoises population. Your tortoise looks healthy , but you never know from inside...
And many other reasons.
Its just not right to let him free, for his own good and the wild tortoises.

Maybe try to keep both separate until you find the owner?...

What sex its your sulcata?


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## Spielberg (Sep 13, 2010)

armandoarturo said:


> The thing is that captive or owned tortoises cant be putted back into the desert for many reasons.
> Some of the most important factors are that they are not used to the desert, they are used to have water and food 24/7, and would not make it out there..
> Also it may carry bacteria or virus that can be spreaded out there in the wild, and would be catastrofic for desert wid tortoises population. Your tortoise looks healthy , but you never know from inside...
> And many other reasons.
> ...


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## Laura (Sep 13, 2010)

They are different species, and they can get each other sick. 
Try to find the owner of the Desert tort.. and if none, contact your local tort chapter and apply for a permit to keep it. It hibernates, Sulcatas do not. 
You will need two seperate enclosures if you decide to keep it. 
I hope it isnt a wild one that wandered too far.. it looks in good shape tho. 


and your sulcata will soon be much bigger then the desert..


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## Dutch-az (Sep 14, 2010)

Tammy,

You replied to my intro post that you are in the Phoenix area. If you decide not to keep the DT, you can contact the Phoenix Herpetological Society: www.phoenixherp.com/

They are the point-of-contact for this part of AZ.


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## Kristina (Sep 14, 2010)

Sulcatas and DTs cannot mate and also should not be kept together. I am also afraid that at the size that your Sulcata is, it is almost impossible to sex them accurately. They can appear to be female, and once they hit about 15" in length, they suddenly show male characteristics and are in fact males. 

DTs kept with Sulcatas often get respiratory infections. They should always be kept separate. Also, because the DT is from the North American continent and Sulcatas are from Africa, there is a good possibility that one or the other is carrying parasites, bacteria, or viruses, that while not harmful to the host, can prove deadly to the other tortoises. It is good practice to NEVER mix tortoises that do not occur naturally in the same area in the wild. 

As Laura mentioned, soon the Sulcata will dwarf the DT. The DT can easily be bullied by the Sulcata once the Sully is bigger, and that can cause both injuries and major stress to the DT. At this time, however, the DT is older than the Sulcata and slightly larger, and very likely will bully the Sulcata. It is better to just keep them separate at all times, for their health and well-being.


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## armandoarturo (Sep 14, 2010)

As far as I know they can mate, because they are members of the same family "Gopherus".
I would keep them separated..


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## Kristina (Sep 14, 2010)

Armando, Sulcatas are not Gopherus ssp. They are Centrochelys (also sometimes calle Geochelone, depending on the age of the materials you consult.) They come from completely different continents, and most likely would never produce viable offspring.


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## armandoarturo (Sep 14, 2010)

Sorry! I had a texas tortoise in my mind when I worte that!
I know, sulcatas come from Africa (Sahara Desert) .. and are from the Geochelone Family 
Sorry again hahaha


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## Kristina (Sep 14, 2010)

That's okay  We all make mistakes, I just wanted to clear it up for the sake of others reading this thread, that might not know the difference 

And yes, Texas tortoises and DTs can interbreed, I think Yvonne has one that is a mix.


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## armandoarturo (Sep 15, 2010)

Yes... I was at work after I wrote the post.. and I was thinking about some stuff, then I realized what I had posted, and when I came back to edit it, you had already corrected it haha.

IT would be interesting to see a mix of them...


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## mytjj (Oct 13, 2010)

100% CDT


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## Jermosh (Oct 14, 2010)

Male DT, I am going to say it looks like a Eastern Sonoran hybrid based on his front legs. He looks friendly. 

I am not sure about CA, but AZ all captured and adopted DTs have to be chipped. But older ones were not. Contact your local Fish and Game or whoever takes control of them.


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