Palm Springs California

[Zamric]

Well, we just got back for our Christmas vacation in California. We spent 1 week in Davis and 1 week in Indio (just south of Palm Springs)

We have had a job offer that will require a move to Indio California. as you folks in Southern California know, Indio is on the outskirts of the High Desert. Now I know WalkingRock is a Desert Tort but it seems a bit extreem even for this guy. He has spent the greatest part of his life in a Beautiful Oasis compaired to what his new yard will be like. I have cultivated a veriety of differant grasses and weeds to make this yard his own little Mecca. His new yard will have very thin grass (where there is grass) and lots of differant cactus. I know he can eat the prickly pear (lots of low patches of that stuff) but there are LOTS of differant cactuses in the yard and I'm not sure which one he CAN eat), not to mention all the dates that fall in the yard from the local date palms surrounding the yard.

How will WalkingRock adapt to this new enviroment? This last Summer is the hotest Summer he has had and it didn't hold a candle to the heat and sun he will experiance in Indio on an average Summer day.

 

[dmarcus]

I think he will be fine, I lived in Las Vegas for the first 4.5 years of Vegas's life before moving to North Texas and he adjusted with no problems. I think it's a bit easier for the bigger tortoises to adjust, so he will be fine...

 

[Tom]

That climate is very similar to mine. There are lots of things to do to help keep them cool over the summer. Mudholes, sprinklers, burrows, dense bushes, shade structures, etc...

The food thing is another issue entirely. I have heard that some cactus species are toxic. You might need to keep him contained and away from any landscaping that you don't want eaten or destroyed. I have no idea about the dates, but I would not let mine have unlimited access to them.

 

[DeanS]

We have had a job offer that will require a move to Indio California. as you folks in Southern California know, Indio is on the outskirts of the High Desert.

Save for the lack of humidity...which you can (and will) create with sprayers...you're temps will be VERY close to what WR would have encountered in his native land

BTW...at 13 feet above sea level, Indio is low desert

 

[dmarcus]

Tom is correct and there are some toxic cactus out there, so until you can ID them I would not give him access, and even the ones he can eat I would limit access other wise he might eat them all...

 

[ascott]

I think he is gonna love Cali Temps are warm (some folks dare to say hot....lol) and perhaps a little drier than where he is use to but I think he will be fine ...cactus are easily id'd so you can have that under control rather quickly...