Help identifying this little one

maplecran

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This looks like a hatchling to me, and I'm not sure how ill take care of it-- the environment it needs and the food it wants (since I don't know what kind of tortoise this small one is).

I found this today on my backyard in a city in nevada.
could be someone's pet but I cant imagine this baby tortoise walking on the desert to my backyard and still be alive and well.

image.jpg image.jpg
 
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russian/sulcata/tortoise

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welcome to the forums! thats a desert tortoise an endangered species that is illegal to remove from the wild but once it is removed from the wild it can not be returned. in a year or two you need to get a permit to own him but you are find for right now. give the tort access to a thin place saucer of water at all times, soak him multiple times a week in warm 80 degrees everyday. feed him lots of nontoxic weeds and grasses cut up. if you are going to keep him inside make sure he has a basking spot of 95 and a cool side of 80.
 

leigti

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Welcome to the forum. I do not know what kind of tortoise that is, but just purely guessing here, I would say it could be a desert tortoise that is native to your area. @Yvonne G May have a better idea. More experienced people will be along soon. Right now I would keep it warm. Around 80°, you could use a black light bulb overnight possibly. If it is a native tortoise to your area there may be certain laws involved about whether you can keep it or not. And I would suggest possibly release that where you found it. Wait to see what other people say.
 

mike taylor

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Nick is right its a gopher tortoise . If it was me I'd put it back outside . Enjoy them but let them be wild . I would bet you have a gopher tortoise's burrow in your backyard .
 

leigti

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If you do end up keeping him, and keeping him inside, you will need a UVB light. Do not get the coil type. But I think letting it go where you found it would be the best.
 

maplecran

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hmmm I see now. this could be a native desert tortoise but my backyard is fenced (and quite big) and on our left side are wires then on right side and backside are walls and its all houses right around on my neighbor. At first my first bet was that its a pet of a my neigbhor on the right side of the fence which are only wires.

so im still not sure if this is a wild one or lost pet. or a baby of a lost pet adult tortoise.
and also my friend said its a gopher tortoise, but is it possible for them to dig on such hard bedrock desert surface?
 

mike taylor

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Yes its possible . That's their home and they are masters of it .
 

Tidgy's Dad

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Hello and thanks for coming here and asking what you should do.
If it were me, I'd put it back where you found it, quickly, regardless of the legislation.
 

tortdad

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It's a beautiful tort. Give it a nice warm soak and a snack, then out him back.
 

Yvonne G

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Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

Chances are good that a bird has dropped this baby into your life. You can't return it to the wild. I'm not aware of the laws regarding desert tortoises in Nevada. Here in California you can have them if you get a permit from the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

If you lived in the country and had found this baby out front, I would say put him back outside. However, since he was found in your fenced back yard and in the city, I think you need to keep him and try to learn the regulations in your state about keeping him. He would certainly die if you were to put him back outside now.

He needs a good drink. Place him in a shallow tub of warm water and leave him there for about 15 or 20 minutes. Then read this care sheet and set him up accordingly:

http://www.donsdeserttortoises.com/2.html
 
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