So I get a phone call from a woman who found a big tortoise in her car port. She lives in Visalia (a city about a 45 minute drive from me). She brings me the tortoise and after wetting it for the pictures, my hand looks like this:
Upon closer inspection, there are two abrasions on the plastron just behind the front legs. It seems as though the tortoise was parked behind a wheel and when the people tried to move their car it wouldn't go. They must have really pressed on the gas for that much tire smudge to come off on the tortoise.
I've put an ad in the Visalia paper, but if I don't find her owners, she is up for adoption. I don't know how easy its going to be to get her to graze, because she has obviously been overfed (and they usually don't do that when grazing on their own). Take a look at the fat pouches in front of her back leg (and notice the LO-O-O-Ong back claws:
This is one great big girl, weighing in at 18lbs. Normal weight for a female desert tortoise is in the 10 to 12lb range.
There is no fee, but I have to be able to see the area where you want to keep her so I can be sure it is safe and secure.
Upon closer inspection, there are two abrasions on the plastron just behind the front legs. It seems as though the tortoise was parked behind a wheel and when the people tried to move their car it wouldn't go. They must have really pressed on the gas for that much tire smudge to come off on the tortoise.
I've put an ad in the Visalia paper, but if I don't find her owners, she is up for adoption. I don't know how easy its going to be to get her to graze, because she has obviously been overfed (and they usually don't do that when grazing on their own). Take a look at the fat pouches in front of her back leg (and notice the LO-O-O-Ong back claws:
This is one great big girl, weighing in at 18lbs. Normal weight for a female desert tortoise is in the 10 to 12lb range.
There is no fee, but I have to be able to see the area where you want to keep her so I can be sure it is safe and secure.
