Two surrendered tortoises

[orv]

Perhaps it might be helpful for you to contact a local tortoise and turtle society to establish proper husbandry and identity for them. This way you could share with local enthusiasts for you and your daughter's enjoyment and enrichment. Sharing with others is always a great plan for learning.

 

[Tom]

My friends had these dropped off at the door(ran an animal rescue previously so it's not unusual). I have a love and bond with them. I'm in the process of getting a better job but can't take them to the vet right this moment. They both have visible damage. Any help for now would be great. Male(spike) has damage on both sides of shell. Female(shelly) has skin flaking and top shell damage. Make has deformities under shell.

From what I can see in the pics you have one sulcata and one Gopherus species. Similar care and feeding except the Gopherus can hibernate and the sulcata will need to be kept warm all winter. Sulcatas also get much bigger and tend to need more grass in the diet. More pics would help confirm or deny this.

Here are some feeding tips: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Here is a housing situation that will work well for any Gopherus species:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/semi-underground-russian-box.98590/#post-922226
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/heating-an-outdoor-russian-night-box.116180/#post-1077261

Here is some housing info for sulcatas:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/my-best-night-box-design-yet.66867/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/search/8486235/?q=enclosure+expansion&t=post&o=relevance

 

[motero]

"From what I can see in the pics you have one sulcata and one Gopherus species. More pics would help confirm or deny this."

They both have nuchal scutes. Sullys don't.
Pics would be great, we all just love pictures.

 

[Yvonne G]

From what I can see in the pics you have one sulcata and one Gopherus species. Similar care and feeding except the Gopherus can hibernate and the sulcata will need to be kept warm all winter. Sulcatas also get much bigger and tend to need more grass in the diet. More pics would help confirm or deny this.

Here are some feeding tips: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Here is a housing situation that will work well for any Gopherus species:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/semi-underground-russian-box.98590/#post-922226
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/heating-an-outdoor-russian-night-box.116180/#post-1077261

Here is some housing info for sulcatas:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/my-best-night-box-design-yet.66867/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/search/8486235/?q=enclosure+expansion&t=post&o=relevance

No, Tom. They are both gopher tortoises.

 

[orv]

TOM: I'm a relative novice when it comes to identifying tortoise species. Could you help with some of the identifying marks differentiating these two tortoises in the pictures?

 

[Yvonne G]

TOM: I'm a relative novice when it comes to identifying tortoise species. Could you help with some of the identifying marks differentiating these two tortoises in the pictures?

There is no difference, Orv. They are both gopher tortoises.

 

[orv]

This is as I thought, thank you Yvonne.

 

[Tom]

No, Tom. They are both gopher tortoises.

The leg scales on the overhead shot of the lighter colored one look very sulcata-ish from that angle.

I'd like to see more pics of that one before I'll sign off on calling it Gopherus.

 

[ascott]

My friend has these dropped off at the door(ran an animal rescue previously so it's not unusual). I have a love and bond with them. I'm in the process of getting a better job but can't take them to the vet right this moment. They both have visible damage. Any help for now would be great. Male(spike) has damage on both sides of shell. Female(shelly) has skin flaking and top shell damage. Make has deformities under shell.

View attachment 184129 View attachment 184130 View attachment 184131 View attachment 184132

Hi..those appear gopherus family to me as well....the first pic is of the front leg and that appears to be a growth under the skin...the side view pic of that same leg is again the front...I believe you are seeing damage/growth and not s species specific spur...

Also..it is no big deal to acquire a permit for them ..so no need to get worried it is awesome that you are caring for them..if you share what state you are in then we can offer better direction as far as a permit...again, so simple to acquire a permit..people do it all of the time..and the only reason I am interested in the state you live in is because that will better help in sharing what outdoor space is most beneficial to your two new house mates....

 

[ZEROPILOT]

@ascott, Are you speaking of Florida?
I've never known about being able to get a permit for a tortoise enthusiast to keep gophers. (In Florida)
So much of what I've heard came to me second hand.
I do know that developers can pay a fee and then cover up gophers in their burrows and build a shopping center on top of them.

 

[ascott]

@ascott, Are you speaking of Florida?
I've never known about being able to get a permit for a tortoise enthusiast to keep gophers. (In Florida)
So much of what I've heard came to me second hand.
I do know that developers can pay a fee and then cover up gophers in their burrows and build a shopping center on top of them.

No..that is the one state that is completely a$$ backwards..

 

[Berkeley]

They are Gopher tortoises without any single doubt and absolutely not Greek tortoises.

Agreed. They are both Gopher tortoises, and completely protected wherever they are.

--Berkeley

 

[BeeBee*BeeLeaves]

Agreed. They are both Gopher tortoises, and completely protected wherever they are.

Agree about protected.

Unless Fish and Wildlife gets their hands on them. Then I understand, they may euthanize them. If anyone else knows about this sad issue, please chime in, about tortoises, and share. Apparently in some parts of our country, this is norm.

BLM too. With the chronic killing of The People's wild horses on The People's land. Another thread, another time ...

An issue that boils my blood. All.Life.Matters. Every creature counts.

 

[Yvonne G]

Agree about protected.

Unless Fish and Wildlife gets their hands on them. Then I understand, they may euthanize them. If anyone else knows about this sad issue, please chime in, about tortoises, and share. Apparently in some parts of our country, this is norm.

BLM too. With the chronic killing of The People's wild horses on The People's land. Another thread, another time ...

An issue that boils my blood. All.Life.Matters. Every creature counts.

This is true. Because they can't be returned to the wild once they've been handled by humans, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will euthanize them. Here in California the department doesn't maintain an adoption program. Clubs do, though, so it's always better to turn tortoises over to a club rather than the Department.

 

[BrianWI]

Gopher Torts for sure. I would not be sad they aren't sulcata, they are great animals.

 

[Holly'sMom]

I'm new so take my advice w a grain of salt it's just my opinion... If the game commission may take them and put them down I wouldn't attempt to get a permit. I had bought hedge hogs in NC about 15yrs ago. I'm in PA where they're illegal to own(Now). I had them as a kid in the early 90's when it was still legal to buy a bloodline in pa and just didn't realize they'd made a full out war on hedge hogs in Our state making them completely illegal in the 90's until the vet told me (they still treated them wo issue for many years). I'd purchased in a pet store that was aware I was from out of state, no one mentioned the new(ish) laws to me. ANYWAYS like I said I'm new to tortoises but If your able to care for them and trying to obtain a permit would cause them to be taken possibly put down, I wouldn't try. I doubt most vets ask for permits and I don't think anyone else besides you and your vet need to really know what they are. Again just my opinion

 

[Holly'sMom]

(Unless I'm misunderstanding that the game commission will put them down)

 

[BeeBee*BeeLeaves]

This is true. Because they can't be returned to the wild once they've been handled by humans, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will euthanize them. Here in California the department doesn't maintain an adoption program. Clubs do, though, so it's always better to turn tortoises over to a club rather than the Department.

Yvonne, does the Department in California call the CTTC clubs, board of directors? and save the animal? If CTTC chapters are out there, one would think ...

 

[Berkeley]

(Unless I'm misunderstanding that the game commission will put them down)

It doesn't happen like that in Georgia, at least. If someone has a gopher tortoise in the state of GA without a permit, the animals are confiscated and if it is known where the animals are from (which is not very likely) they are returned to the wild if at all possible. If it is not known where the animals are from (which is way more likely and happens all the time) the animals are a) taken to a repatriation colony and released in the wild or b) given to a permit holder for use in education.

I don't know of any confiscated gophers that have been put down (except for maybe some that have had health issues) just because they were being kept illegally.

Since the gophers are a threatened species, every effort is made to preserve them and make them useful either genetically (out in the wild, reproducing) or educationally (in captivity- legally!- being ambassadors for the species).

--Berkeley

 

[Holly'sMom]

I was kind of confused about that( them being put down ) but obviously hedgehogs aren't tortoise and aren't endangered.. pa also has the craziest laws w them, none of the other states they're band from are as horrid as PA. If your caught w a hedgehog here they'll actually raid your house like a drug bust (so I've heard/read online).. But they could be an invasive species not an endangered one. Thanks for clearing up my misunderstanding of the comments