Are you all ex-situ?

[Franklin]

Hi,

I find myself new here in this forum. I used the term "conservation" in the search box, got really poor results, not much interest here in your overall group.

I like pet tortoises, and have had a few turtles or tortoises pretty much for the past 45 years. But I have also volunteered with in-situ conservation efforts.

BTW in-situ more or less means in the original place, as it pertains to tortoises it would mean wild ones. In this vein of thought ex-situ would mean our pets.

So, wondering the following . . .

Have you seen a tortoise in the wild (not a zoo, nature center etc.) - in the wild like camping if Florida, or taking a walk in southern CA say at Joshua Tree NP, and just happen to see one?

I'd have made a pole, an option at the bottom of the screen, but again the help menu was useless for that purpose.

Maybe a moderator could repost my question with the pole attached?

The question is "Have you seen a wild tortoise?"

Franklin

---

I see, the poll 'wizard' pops up after you hit the 'post' button.

Franklin

 

[mctlong]

Yes, I live in California and my job involves alot of walking through the Mojave desert. I've been fortunate to come across one CDT in the wild. Their numbers in this part of California are very low and I was lucky to see one. There are conservation efforts in place and there are laws protecting this species, but their numbers are still very low.

Personally, I'd like to see more re-introduction efforts.

 

[tortadise]

Seen many Gopherus Polyphemus in florida, Gopherus Berlandieri in Southern texas, as well as many Chelonoidis carbonaria in Central America. One of the main reasons why I hold conservation as my main purpose in my organziations program.

 

[wellington]

No and bumbed about it

 

[Tortus]

There are no tortoises around here so no. Just box and water turtles and I've seen lots of them.

 

[Baoh]

Yes, around much of the world.

 

[johnreuk]

Yes, once when I was in Turkey

 

[Tom]

Many CDTs here. 6 leopards in South Africa, plus a whole bunch of others that were "semi"-wild. I've seen various aquatic turtles all over the world, usually hanging out with some red eared sliders, unfortunately...

 

[EKLC]

I gone looking for gopher tortoises many times, but have yet to see one. I know where a few holes are and have gone at various times of day, but no luck.

Then I see people on facebook post a picture of one they came across with the caption "look at this big turtle"

 

[RosieRedfoot]

I've seen some turtles here on logs at a distance, and a snapping turtle. In my other world travels I've seen numerous turtles and even tortoises but at the time I didn't have any as pets, and was much younger. So I don't know what species they were. I grew up in Alaska where there aren't reptiles except domestic ones (except for maybe a few newt species on the southern areas near B.C.), so I am definitely not the best at identifying them.

 

[Laura]

leopard in Africa...

 

[pdrobber]

Saw Gopher tortoises in Florida years ago

 

[Nerdling]

Unfortunately there are no tortoises native to Alberta, only Western Painted turtles (haven't seen any of them, either!).

 

[DanieltheAnvil]

I see wild Gopher tortoises all the time. by all the time I mean a few times a year but more frequently then most. I love hiking and searching for wildlife so its fun when I get to see the big torts we have around here.

 

[Zamric]

Ive seen LOTS of Turtles in the wild, but no Tortoises.

 

[kanalomele]

Yes i have seen both tortoises and turtles in the wild.

 

[Yvonne G]

never! I don't understand why. Maybe I'm just not paying close enough attention.

 

[Moozillion]

I see box turtles, red-eared sliders, 3-striped musk turtles and snapping turtles.

 

[pepsiandjac]

never seen a wild tortoise,but i am in the UK so that's probably why lol

 

[russian tortoise boy]

when i see one, can i own it as a pet or take it?