turtle identification

[lilaclady]

My cousin found a turtle/tortoise that reminds me of a gopher turtle but it has big bumps all over its back. Is that still a gopher turtle or is it another kind?

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi lilaclady:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

We'll have to see a picture of the tortoise to tell you for sure, but my guess would be sulcata.

 

[lilaclady]

Hi lilaclady:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

We'll have to see a picture of the tortoise to tell you for sure, but my guess would be sulcata.

Here it is.

 

[Yvonne G]

OMG! That poor tortoise. Well, you were right. Its a gopher tortoise. That must mean you're in Florida, huh?

He's had some VERY poor care. Best thing you can do for him now is provide plenty of sunshine and calcium-rich foods.

 

[lilaclady]

OMG! That poor tortoise. Well, you were right. Its a gopher tortoise. That must mean you're in Florida, huh?

He's had some VERY poor care. Best thing you can do for him now is provide plenty of sunshine and calcium-rich foods.

Yeah, I'm in Florida. The tortoise is not mine. My cousin is a surveyor and he found it while he was out working and took a pic of it. He had never seen one like that before. Since I am the queen of the internet, lol, he asked me to identify it. I can only assume that it is not someone's pet, but rather just wild. Thanks for the info though. I appreciate it.

 

[Yvonne G]

No, that's definitely NOT a wild tortoise. That is the result of that poor tortoise living its whole life in a torture chamber. The people who had it probably got tired of "taking care" of it and released it back into nature (against the law!).

 

[lilaclady]

No, that's definitely NOT a wild tortoise. That is the result of that poor tortoise living its whole life in a torture chamber. The people who had it probably got tired of "taking care" of it and released it back into nature (against the law!).

Good Gravy! I just assumed that all Gopher Turtles were wild, since the only time I have seen them is as such. That is despicable. It chaps my hide when people get pets and then don't take care of them. Is there something I should tell me cousin to do or a place it should be taken?

 

[lilaclady]

No, that's definitely NOT a wild tortoise. That is the result of that poor tortoise living its whole life in a torture chamber. The people who had it probably got tired of "taking care" of it and released it back into nature (against the law!).

I also noticed that Gopher tortoises are protected species, so you are not allowed to own them without a permit. How do people have them as pets then?

 

[Yvonne G]

Well for sure don't let him release the tortoise back into nature. It has spent its whole life indoors and wouldn't live long on its own outside. If he doesn't want to keep it, it should be turned over to a tortoise rescue group.

In the meantime, it needs calcium-rich foods to help it get over the MBD (metabolic bone disease). I'll bet it would appreciate a good soaking too.

I'm not familiar with Florida's regulations regarding the gopher tortoises, but here in California, its quite easy to get a permit to keep the protected desert tortoise.

 

[mctlong]

The tort's condition is called Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD). You can google it and finds tons of info. Poor little guy.

 

[lilaclady]

Well for sure don't let him release the tortoise back into nature. It has spent its whole life indoors and wouldn't live long on its own outside. If he doesn't want to keep it, it should be turned over to a tortoise rescue group.

In the meantime, it needs calcium-rich foods to help it get over the MBD (metabolic bone disease). I'll bet it would appreciate a good soaking too.

He didn't keep the tortoise. He found it in the wild while he was doing work surveying. He just took a pic so I could identify it. He thought it might be a gopher and knew they were protected, so he didn't mess with it. Obviously he knows where he saw it though, so I assume it can be found again. I just didn't know if we should contact Fish and Game or something.