Can a desert tortoise live happily in North Carolina?

[rudemom]

I have a desert tortoise that I got from my mother. My Mom had the momma turtle since 1962 and had friends bring over males which she mated with. Two sets of babies were hatched. I have a female from the second batch. She is about 40-45 years old and has spent her life in Southern California. Planning to move to the coast of North Carolina at the end of 2019 and was wondering if she will be able to live happily there with us? Thoughts??

 

[Yvonne G]

Since desert tortoises belong to the State of California, and NOT to the caregiver, it is illegal to remove a California tortoise from its home state. But besides that, yes, the humid climate on the coast will be detrimental to your desert tortoise's health. She may even die.

I know it's a hard thing to do, but you should try to find someone to adopt your tortoise and keep it in California. I don't remember how much, but there is a fine for removing the Gopherus species of tortoise from their home states.

 

[Tom]

I have a desert tortoise that I got from my mother. My Mom had the momma turtle since 1962 and had friends bring over males which she mated with. Two sets of babies were hatched. I have a female from the second batch. She is about 40-45 years old and has spent her life in Southern California. Planning to move to the coast of North Carolina at the end of 2019 and was wondering if she will be able to live happily there with us? Thoughts??

Yvonne said everything I was going to say…

I'll add that when I worked in pet shops near the coast in my younger days, we were constantly rehabbing sick DTs. The rehab consisted primarily of moving them inland to hotter drier areas away from the coast. Humidity and cool temps does not agree with desert tortoises.

 

[Old Mojave]

I found a Desert Tortise in Banning back in 1968 when I was visiting my Grandparents home. I was from BUFFALO NEW YORK and I flew home with my new pet while she slept in my walk on bag, I was nine years old. This girl lived back east untill 1978 just fine. She was never sick and always kept her appetite. I soaked her every month to prevent constipation and give her a drink. In the summers she was a walking lawnmower and just loved munching our lawn down to the roots and than she went after plants in our vegetable garden to boot. She survived the worst winter on record where the snow almost covered the first floor of our house while she slumbered in dreamland under my bed. My family moved out to CA to Palm Springs in 1978 and she drove out west with us. I still have her and have another DT that I found in Indio when I was a Postal Carrier back in 1986. I still have my loving couple to this day and they are both happy and healthy. If You take the time to provide for them You could have your DT back east but it takes quite a bit of work to make it happy and healthy.

Jon Old Mojave

 

[wellington]

Except that it's illegal. A simple thing of taking him to a vet could get him confiscated and not taking him to a vet for fear of him getting confiscated is animal neglect. Should he ever need to see a vet that is.

 

[wccmog10]

I do not live out west- so I can’t comment on the legality of bringing a California desert tortoise out of the state- I will leave that up to Tom and Yvonne (and others that live there). But what I can comment on- it is hard to keep desert tortoises healthy here on the east coast. I know someone who has had them in the past here in the southeast- and the humidity is a constant battle. They actually seem to do better inside where you can keep the humidty low. I’m not saying it can’t be done- but it’s much harder to do here than it is out west where they belong.

 

[jamespc]

I also would be concerned about the humidity levels being higher. You might have to use heat lamps to maintain dryness in a tank. I was thinking of taking a job in Northern CA and one factor of not accepting the job was knowing that I and my tortoise, who as been with me longer than most friends, would probably be negatively affected by the cooler temps and moisture. I don't really thing it is a reason NOT to move but it is something to consider. I would feel funny about taking a California tortoise outside of CA, not just because of fish and game and such but because they are endangered here and if I was not able to take care of him I think he really should be given to a breeder or put in a sanctuary herein CA where he can add to the population. Just a few thoughts. I would be interested to know what you decide.