Looking for Tortoise Rescues in FLORIDA

[shellysmom]

OK, whoever said tortoises are like potato chips was sooo right. You really can't have just one! So, I'm looking for sulcata #2, but I do not want to buy from a breeder or pet store, as it is painfully obvious that there are so many unwanted ones out there. I've had my eye on CL, but all the ones I seem to be finding are males, and a female would really be better for my situation. Does anyone know of any tortoise rescue groups in Florida that offer their "saves" up for adoption? All of the rescues I've found through internet searches seem to be defunct...

Also, the bigger the tortoise, the better. We have 10 acres, all fenced. We'll take a deformed or special needs tort, no problem. It really just has to be a female. I've noticed quite a few people on the forum are from Florida, so I'm hoping someone can give me some leads. Thanks!!

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

We get them alot. If you are willing to pick up in Naples send me your info at [email protected] and I will contact you when we get another.

Here was our last, advertised him for free on Fauna Classifieds.

 

[Laura]

if you have ten acers.. why not fence a few areas and take in a few males inneed..
I know when i first dreamed about this.. I was hoping for a small group of needy females too. they arent
as needy, or as common...
but i ended up with a group of 4 males... so far.. two pens.. but that may need to change...

 

[shellysmom]

Hi Laura,

I would LOVE to turn my little ranch into a tortoise and turtle rescue. Believe me, I've planned it all out in my head, but my husband does not share my enthusiasm for animal rescue...

Now that I've been looking for awhile, I've definitely noticed there are more males available for re-homing than females. Do you think this is just because males require their own space once they get a bit bigger, or are males easier for breeders to hatch, perhaps?

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Hi Laura,

I would LOVE to turn my little ranch into a tortoise and turtle rescue. Believe me, I've planned it all out in my head, but my husband does not share my enthusiasm for animal rescue...

Now that I've been looking for awhile, I've definitely noticed there are more males available for re-homing than females. Do you think this is just because males require their own space once they get a bit bigger, or are males easier for breeders to hatch, perhaps?

More than likely both. Plus, females can lay eggs, $$.

 

[Yvonne G]

I truly think it is the incubation-temperature-determines-sex thing. More males are hatched out.

 

[Laura]

well my husband thinks rescuing torts is a more realistic one then rescuing Big Cats in need of big homes.. yep.. lions tigers etc.. i still network,, but not too active with that part. I would like to do more conservation work.. that is where my passion is.. Rehab etc..

bacck to OP.. is the incubation time longer for females? So those hatching the eggs are too eager to get them hatched? or do they not want the competiton of females laying eggs and taking away from thier business??

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

I know of several breeders that do incubate at lower temps to produce all males to elimate/minimize competition, escpecially with certain ones like albinos.

 

[Shelly]

Why are there so few Desert Tortoise females, when they are almost always incubated naturally? (Sorry to get off topic)

 

[TylerStewart]

In my opinion, the biggest reason you don't see females available is because people know there's a value to them. Unless someone with a female gets on CL not knowing what a female is potentially worth, they just don't make it to the open "adoption market." If a female becomes available on CL, she's probably grabbed within minutes, where the males linger there for a while. If they are dropped off at a pet store, they get sold (for good money). I would imagine if they are dropped off at many rescues or certain rescues, the word gets out to someone who has been looking for females, and they are sold / passed to them without being offered to the masses. There probably is statistically more males out there (because of intentionally producing males), but I also tend to think that females get hoarded (I must confess). I don't think it's any easier to incubate males than females, unless a breeder wants to avoid the risk of split scutes or other oddities by using a lower, safer temp.