Help identify

[snowbunny5]

Someone gave this little thing to my dad and was told that it's a dessert tortoise but I'm not so sure plus are desert tortoises illegal to have because if so we want to take it to a shelter or zoo or something ya know..any info about type age gender would be very helpful

 

[COmtnLady]

Welcome to the Forum!

I will let other members who know the legalities and such ID your cute baby, but until then here is a quick and inexpensive chamber for hatchlings of every type.

How to make a closed-chamber baby habitat out of a 55gal Sterilite bin

Since several folks have asked about how to make a closed chamber baby enclosure out of a 55gal Sterilite tote, here are some pics and description of how I do. This is not the most beautiful option, but since the babies will only be in here for 9-12 months, I'm okay with that. My own Russian...

tortoiseforum.org

Please read this through, and ask more questions.

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Just to keep it happy until everything gets figured out, soak it in a container it can't climb out of, a square plastic storage box, a glass baking dish with high sides, etc. (Make sure there isn't any soap or greasy residue on the container.) Keep the water luke-warm (90-95F, or just run the water on the inside of your wrist to make sure it isn't too hot or cold) the entire time its soaking - at least twenty minutes, longer is better . Have the water ONLY as deep as where the top and bottom shells come together (which means the water will cool off frequently, so replenish with warm water every few minutes. They usually poop and pee in the water, too, so replace it with clean as needed).- It will stay hydrated and healthier with a soak every day.


@Yvonne G @Tom

 

[Tom]

Someone gave this little thing to my dad and was told that it's a dessert tortoise but I'm not so sure plus are desert tortoises illegal to have because if so we want to take it to a shelter or zoo or something ya know..any info about type age gender would be very helpful View attachment 393114View attachment 393115

It not illegal to have them. You just need to get a free permit from your local CTTC chapter. I can't tell if it's a DT from your pictures. It get blurry when I try to zoom in.

 

[RandyTortoise]

It not illegal to have them. You just need to get a free permit from your local CTTC chapter. I can't tell if it's a DT from your pictures. It get blurry when I try to zoom in.

I think you shouldn’t keep it if you can’t take care of it. Start from that mind set and work back from there.

 

[Yvonne G]

Like Tom, I can't tell from these pictures if it's a desert tortoise or not. But if it is, it's very easy to get a permit from the California Turtle and Tortoise club - you have a chapter right there in Bakersfield, the Kern Chapter. Please don't take it to a shelter or the zoo. They don't really understand the state rules for keeping desert tortoises. Contact the Kern Chapter of CTTC.

 

[Markw84]

Yes. That is a baby desert tortoise. As @Tom said, it is easy to get the required permit from the local Calif Turtle and Tortoise Club.