Need info on a tortoise

[evildeadguy81]

Hi i was coming home and seen this tortoise crossing the road so i stop and got it befor it got hit can someone please tell me what kinda it is

 

[ascott]

What state do you live in ?

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Oh yeah....welcome to the forum

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Evildeadguy:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

May we know your name and where you are?

The picture is a little blurry, but I THINK its a desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)

 

[evildeadguy81]

Hi thanks for the welcome i live in florida name is james sorry took photos with phone cam not the best

 

[african cake queen]

hi, what a cute little guy!

 

[evildeadguy81]

i was thinking it mite be a Gopher Tortoise cause they kinda look like that as a baby but not sure

 

[Yvonne G]

In that case (because you live in Florida), I'll amend my guess to gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus).

 

[dmarcus]

Hello and welcome to the forum...

 

[evildeadguy81]

Thanks for the welcome

 

[nicolek]

Nice name! I named my tortoise Bruce Campbell. He wont inherit the Bruce until I know if it is a he or she. Welcome

 

[jackrat]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[wrmitchell22]

Welcome to TFO, nice save

 

[Laura]

Ideally.... you should take it back where it was found... off the raodway.. and let it go.. and keep fingers crossed it survives..

 

[ascott]

Ditto with Yvonne....that was kinda why I asked where you lived

It is a hard choice to make wether to keep it/take it back and release it????? It will entirely be up to you , if you keep it then the little one will likely do best housed outside as much as possible. If you opt to release it back to its wild area (only if you have not exposed him in ANY WAY to any other tortoise), maybe you can take a little walk about in the area that you picked it up from, kinda get a feel for the area? Like walk slowly towards the direction the little thing was going and really observe where he may have been headed or walk in the direction he was coming from to see if you can see any signs that you may have picked him up from a general pathway for his daily life? Also, you may be able to contact Florida Fish and Game and ask them what should someone do if they find one...do they do a relocate back into a safe/wild area or do they simply hand him off to a rescue? If they can relocate him back into the wild great, if they are going to turn over to a rescue...then why not be the rescue crew for him ?

I always believe that wild is the "ideal" choice and should always be the first option taken...HOWEVER, if you can not find signs that he has been there before (or she?) then it will be your judgement call

Whichever you decide, he sure is a cutie

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome, if a gopher, he needs to be released. Misdemeanor!

 

[chairman]

Welcome, if a gopher, he needs to be released. Misdemeanor!

I agree. I don't remember there being any provisions in FL law that allow residents to keep gophers in captivity in the same way that desert torts can be kept in CA.