Species..?

[scottpvaughn]

Greetings! I've been (a co-)owner of a grown Sulcatta in the past and might have the opportunity to be an owner of a small ("about the size of two hands" I'm told) tortoise soon. We're uncertain of the species though (Desert, Sulcatta, etc)... anyone care to hazzard a guess?

 

[wellington]

Desert. There are rules for owning them and only in a few states and they can not go cross state lines.
I believe it's also illegal for people to sell or purposely breed them.
@Tom or @Yvonne G can confirm.

 

[scottpvaughn]

Desert. There are rules for owning them and only in a few states and they can not go cross state lines.
I believe it's also illegal for people to sell or purposely breed them.
@Tom or @Yvonne G can confirm.

Interesting. I'm in Arizona and its one that has simply been in a friend's yard since they bought the place. What might be protocol?

 

[Tom]

That is a desert tortoise. I'm not up on AZ law, but they are protected for sure. There are ways to legally own them, but not sure of the technicalities.

Apple, and any other sugary fruit, is not good for them.

Here is the current and correct care info:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

The tortoise will need a burrow to escape the intense summer heat.