article on 100lb Sulcata found in AZ desert

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REXANNismyprettygirl

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My mom called last night and shared this article with me... this is not too far from my home. I secretly wish I would have found her :D hehehe
I just cant fathom how anyone could take there tort out in the desert and leave it there but this one must have been there a loooooooooong time to be that large and have 2 burrows. Her shell looks really awesome too in my opinion.

Enjoy!

http://www.azreporter.com/news/index.php?itemid=1325
 

Balboa

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I guess that's another plus for arizina being the best place to raise many tortoises. That is a really nice lookin tort.
 

Jessicap

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at least this had a happy ending... I never can figure out how someone can take their "PET" and drop it off assuming it will survive on its own. It makes me angry! Never understand why someone gets an animal if they don't plan to take care of it, they aren't something you can just "throw away" .

This tort looks awesome, so it was a lucky one.
 

REXANNismyprettygirl

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i thought so too!! i wish they would have told us what they did with her... if she is going to a zoo or a rescue or whatever. i cant imagine they left her out there since they made such a big deal about her drain on nature.
 

ALDABRAMAN

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Some have been found down living in the wild here in south Florida as well.
 

mango matto

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Great looking tort I wish we knew some history. If it's only been in the wild for a short period I would guess that it got out unintentionally. A shell like that only comes from great husbandry. A person that would raise such great looking tort would most likely know better than to release it into the wild. My other theory is that it go out a long time ago, and has grown in an environment very similar to its native environment. How long ago would it have to have been though to reach that size? Hmmm.....
 
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Maggie Cummings

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Interesting, thank for sharing that.
She's smooth except for
how her carapace has those large 'flares' behind her head. Her carapace shouldn't flare up like that, it should just go down...
 

Tortuga_terrestre

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Tortoiseforum member never come cross those treasures...beautiful tortoise. I'm sure it couldnt have been out in the desert too long...think about it in the winter the desert is COLD! that why Desert tortoises hibernate..and we know sulcatas dont.
 

Yvonne G

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Yeah, I kinda' thought the front-on view made her look a little funny too. Sort of pinched in on either side. But the side view shows a pretty smooth carapace.

So sad that we can't get the word out to people who think about releasing their pets. I have sent in "Letters to the Editor" in the past, and so has Maggie, but I guess pet-keepers don't read the editorial page much.
 

Balboa

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mango matto said:
Great looking tort I wish we knew some history. If it's only been in the wild for a short period I would guess that it got out unintentionally. A shell like that only comes from great husbandry. A person that would raise such great looking tort would most likely know better than to release it into the wild. My other theory is that it go out a long time ago, and has grown in an environment very similar to its native environment. How long ago would it have to have been though to reach that size? Hmmm.....

Funny, I was thinking it obviously wasn't in captivity long, too smooth.

:)
 

REXANNismyprettygirl

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maggie3fan said:
Interesting, thank for sharing that.
She's smooth except for
how her carapace has those large 'flares' behind her head. Her carapace shouldn't flare up like that, it should just go down...

do you think that both pics are of the same tort? i believe the top one to be just another photo and the 2nd one to be the one they found. at 100lbs the top tort appears too small. but the flares were intriguing to me as well. i have never seen that.

mango matto said:
Great looking tort I wish we knew some history. If it's only been in the wild for a short period I would guess that it got out unintentionally. A shell like that only comes from great husbandry. A person that would raise such great looking tort would most likely know better than to release it into the wild. My other theory is that it go out a long time ago, and has grown in an environment very similar to its native environment. How long ago would it have to have been though to reach that size? Hmmm.....

and the two burrows... that makes me think it has been a loooooong while. I think if RV's burrow and I believe Teri said she has been working on it for years.
 

Yvonne G

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Of course, I may be all wet, and I don't know how cold the Arizona desert gets, but with a deep, long burrow, I'm pretty sure the tortoise would be ok for the winter. Not optimum conditions, but not bad enough to kill her.
 

yagyujubei

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Sonoran desert ave winter temps mid 50's occasionally down to freezing, from what I found out.
 

Laura

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i wonder how many wild sulcas there are being hatched out there?
Or how many desert torts in came in contact with and are now sick...
 

Tom

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A lot of people in AZ just keep their sulcatas outside with no heat. They burrow down and do very well there. They thrive, breed and grow that way. They could live out there indefinitely, I'm sure. If they start populating the wild there, I'm going tortoise hunting in AZ. I'll never buy one again...
 

dmmj

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the CTTC have found about 3 or 4 "wild" sulcatas in the desert, and a friend of mine found a 80 pounder walking by the rail road tracks in downtown LA.
 

tobibaby

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i dont understand how u really can do that... just let them go in the wild after captivity, i am so attached to mine and raising him since baby i love him so much, i know his personality, i would never be able to get rid of him i dont care how big he gets. and if i really for some strange reason cant take care of him i will find him home and make sure i can go and visit.
 

Tom

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tobibaby said:
i dont understand how u really can do that... just let them go in the wild after captivity, i am so attached to mine and raising him since baby i love him so much, i know his personality, i would never be able to get rid of him i dont care how big he gets. and if i really for some strange reason cant take care of him i will find him home and make sure i can go and visit.

You must know that there are people out there that don't care as much as you do. Reptiles in general can usually survive, since they are so instinct driven, as long as the environmental conditions are suitable.

Not saying its okay, but its not like dropping a dog out there.
 

Laura

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where do you think all the stray dogs come from? Not all of them got loose and cant find thier way home.. People Dump the family pet. dogs and cats. ALL THE TIME! they say they dont want to take them to the Pound, cuz they will just kill them. They Think that a nice farmer will take them in , or they will just live in a dream world that they survived.. they dont want to Know they will killed..
Reality.. some are shot by those nice farmers, run over by cars, starve, get killed by wildlife... its better to have a chance for adoption, getting needed Vet care, neutered or if it comes to that.. get Euthanized.. Humanely.. and painlessly.. People.. gotta hate them sometimes...
 

REXANNismyprettygirl

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Tom said:
A lot of people in AZ just keep their sulcatas outside with no heat. They burrow down and do very well there. They thrive, breed and grow that way. They could live out there indefinitely, I'm sure. If they start populating the wild there, I'm going tortoise hunting in AZ. I'll never buy one again...

I was thinking the same thing Tom!! :) We go play in the desert quite a bit so I am gonna keep my eyes peeled. lol
 
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