CL ad Desert torts being sold as Russians

[CGKeith]

I have emailed and sent a text to this guy letting him know that what he has pictured are native desert tortoises, not russians. He insists that they are captive bred russians.


http://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/grd/3527120843.html


Anyone else want to try?

 

[Arnold_rules]

I have emailed and sent a text to this guy letting him know that what he has pictured are native desert tortoises, not russians. He insists that they are captive bred russians.


http://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/grd/3527120843.html


Anyone else want to try?

Perhaps the Arizona Game and Fish can convince this gentleman of what he actually has, although they will confiscate them. Unfortunately, they already have a bunch of tortoises looking for adoption.

 

[mainey34]

How can he say they are Russians? I will email him..
Emailed him with what i thought...lol...

 

[Jacqui]

Now why can't that kind of ad appear in my local area?

 

[Anthony P]

That's so sad. There was a guy selling Gophers on RI craigslist last month for 40 dollars a piece. I politely told him what he had in time for him to inform me that they had been sold.

Sad that they're up there in the first place. Makes me rather angry that people can't just leave things alone. Coming across an animal by chance does not give you the chance to rip it from it's home and give it a horrible life of craigslist transactions, especially if it is such a special and rare species. So sad.

 

[mainey34]

Now why can't that kind of ad appear in my local area?

Jacqui, can you tell me how you would approach this. I dont know if i am doing the right thing or not...

 

[Jacqui]

Now why can't that kind of ad appear in my local area?

Jacqui, can you tell me how you would approach this. I dont know if i am doing the right thing or not...

He has already been told they are not Russians and he refuses to change what he is saying they are. Really the only other thing is to make the Games and Parks aware of it.

 

[Yvonne G]

I emailed him and told him that the department of fish and game sometimes monitors these ads and if they find out he's trying to sell a native species he might be fined $10,000.

 

[CGKeith]

I thought that maybe if enough people all told him they were DT's he would at least question it and look further into what he actually has.

He has another ad up trying to sell a greek tortoise as well, so maybe he was sold these as babies and that is what he was told.


Send him a polite text.

 

[CGKeith]

UPDATE...I did get to speak with him and he now does believe they are DT's.

He was sold these as babies and told they were russians.

Anybody here in AZ want to adopt them? I can probably get them.

 

[Arnold_rules]

UPDATE...I did get to speak with him and he now does believe they are DT's.

He was sold these as babies and told they were russians.

Anybody here in AZ want to adopt them? I can probably get them.

I already have one, or I would.

 

[mainey34]

He emailed me back. And said he would do research and remove his ad if they were not Russians...guess what? His ad has been deleted..

 

[Ripkabird98]

UPDATE...I did get to speak with him and he now does believe they are DT's.

He was sold these as babies and told they were russians.

Anybody here in AZ want to adopt them? I can probably get them.

Do you HAVE TO be in Arizona for that offer to stand?

 

[CGKeith]

UPDATE...I did get to speak with him and he now does believe they are DT's.

He was sold these as babies and told they were russians.

Anybody here in AZ want to adopt them? I can probably get them.

Do you HAVE TO be in Arizona for that offer to stand?

Yes, State and Federal law prohibits them from being transported across State lines.

 

[Thalatte]

How many does he have? And you can have more than 1 desert tort as long as they are always seperated.
I can find a home for 2 maybe 3

 

[CGKeith]

How many does he have? And you can have more than 1 desert tort as long as they are always seperated.
I can find a home for 2 maybe 3

He has 2. AZ State law allows for 1 per person and makes no mention of keeping them seperated.

 

[Thalatte]

And in addition to it beig illegal to ship across state lines these are a threatened species and in order to own one you have to fill out paperwork and go through long inspection processes. So even finding homes in state is really hard.

 

[CGKeith]

And in addition to it beig illegal to ship across state lines these are a threatened species and in order to own one you have to fill out paperwork and go through long inspection processes. So even finding homes in state is really hard.

This is not true. There is no paperwork or "process" when they are being given away by an individual.

You are mixing information and requirements from the adoption agencies.

 

[Thalatte]

He has 2. AZ State law allows for 1 per person and makes no mention of keeping them seperated.

Yes but the law was written before they realized the overwhelming numbers they would have to rehome. So if you talk to a game warden and have appropriate separate enclosures set up before you get a second they will allow some owners to have multiples but they will be stricter on future inspections to make sure you aren't breeding and/or selling them.

---

This is not true. There is no paperwork or "process" when they are being given away by an individual.

You are mixing information and requirements from the adoption agencies.

In order to legally have a desert tortoise you have to be inspected by the fish and wildlife department no matter where you get your tort...or so my local warden says. Supposedly It is part of the restricted animals law.
Though I could be wrong as I never bothered to verify it as I think it's a good practice and I have to have the permits anyways so I make any adoptees fill out the paperwork and undergo inspections as well.

 

[CGKeith]

Here are the reg's


Per Arizona Game and Fish Commission Rule R12-4-407 A.1, "An individual may possess, transport, or give away a desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) without a special license if that individual possessed it before April 28, 1989. An individual who possessed a desert tortoise before this date may propagate it, and hold offspring in captivity for 24 months from the date of hatching. The individual shall dispose of the offspring of desert tortoises before or at the end of the 24 months by giving them as a gift or as directed in writing by the Department. An individual who receives a desert tortoise that is given away under this Section is also exempt from the special license requirements. An individual shall not export a desert tortoise from this state unless authorized in writing by the Department."

Per Arizona Game and Fish Commission Order 43, "Possession limit is one desert tortoise per person."

The Tortoise Adoption Program Guidelines state that as of January 2008, you may adopt one desert tortoise per household.