which kind?
- Thread starter nemo66
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Housing indoors or out?
Also how much space if outdoors?
From what I see you would have to construct an outdoor wintering area with a heat lamp and some insulation if the tort is outside all year.
I would suggest a smaller species one that can live inside all year and put outside when the weather is nice. I would use the species listed here on the site and research the environments they live in, different species have different requirements for humidity, UV, and temp.
Also how much space if outdoors?
From what I see you would have to construct an outdoor wintering area with a heat lamp and some insulation if the tort is outside all year.
I would suggest a smaller species one that can live inside all year and put outside when the weather is nice. I would use the species listed here on the site and research the environments they live in, different species have different requirements for humidity, UV, and temp.
Welcome to the group! Glad to read you are doing your research. How large of a tortoise would you be willing to have?
M
Maggie Cummings
Guest
Welcome to the group...Texas Gopher tortoise...(G. berlandieri) inhabits near-desert and wooded areas of Texas and northern Mexico. As I recall your part of Texas is brushy and dry rocky kinda almost desert. You almost wouldn't want a Sulcata as they would want to eat more live grasses and weeds then you have. The desert tortoise is a more manageable size and easier to feed. They don't mind eating dried weeds. They are shy but very personable. You would really like them...Just my opinion...
Maggie 
You can't get Desert tortoises in Texas and Texas tortoises need a permit to have in Texas and they aren't easy to get.
With answers to Rob's question, we can give you a pretty good idea of what might work for you.
Danny
You can't get Desert tortoises in Texas and Texas tortoises need a permit to have in Texas and they aren't easy to get. With answers to Rob's question, we can give you a pretty good idea of what might work for you.
Danny
M
Maggie Cummings
Guest
I didn't know that you couldn't get them and I thought the permit would be easy like it is in Calif for the G. agassizii...I'm so sorry to give out wrong information.
May not be able to get them, but they'd still be the best.
Why can't you get them?
May not be able to get them, but they'd still be the best.
Why can't you get them?
Well Desert tortoises aren't native to Texas and can't cross state lines, unless someone brought one in 20 years ago, so your not likely to find one in Texas.
The Texas tortoise is native to Texas, but Texas didn't want anyone having Texas tortoises, so they made the permit very hard to get. If you already had one when the permit system went into effect, you got a permit. Now the only way to get a permit is to be a rehaber.
No problem Maggie you didn't do anything wrong
Danny
The Texas tortoise is native to Texas, but Texas didn't want anyone having Texas tortoises, so they made the permit very hard to get. If you already had one when the permit system went into effect, you got a permit. Now the only way to get a permit is to be a rehaber.
No problem Maggie
you didn't do anything wrong Danny
M
Maggie Cummings
Guest
I am not understanding this here...G. berlandieri is not native to Texas? Almost every place I have researched says something like this... " Its range extends from South-Central Texas in the United States southward into the Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas."
This from the WCT site written by Darrell and Chris Tabaka; both highly respected experts on turtles and tortoises:
The Texas tortoise (Gopherus berlandieri) is found from South-Central Texas in the United States southward into the Mexican States of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas. It is the smallest of the Gopherus species growing to only about 8.5 inches (22 cm) SCL. The species is listed internationally as a CITES II species and is federally listed in the United States under the Endangered Species Act. Because of this protected status, it is illegal to collect a Texas tortoise from the wild in the United States. The only legal manner in which to acquire a Texas tortoise is by adopting one from a state recognized organization or to be given a hatchling from a breeding captive animal. Again, check with your state wildlife agency BEFORE you consider adopting an animal of this species as United States federal law protects it. Texas tortoises sometimes construct burrows in sandy soil but they are more typically found in shallow pallets or “resting formsâ€Â. They are also known to use empty mammal burrows.
I realize I don't know as much about turtles and tortoises as you do and you are the resident expert here, but I CAN read and every place I have gone to researching this tortoise says it comes from Texas, so what am I missing out on here? Am I supposed to not believe the 10 or 15 different research areas that say the Texas tortoise comes from Texas, because you say they don't come from Texas? I know I am just a dumb blonde but I can and do read and that's what I read,
the Texas tortoise (Gopherus berlandieri) comes from South Central Texas into Mexico.
This from the WCT site written by Darrell and Chris Tabaka; both highly respected experts on turtles and tortoises:
The Texas tortoise (Gopherus berlandieri) is found from South-Central Texas in the United States southward into the Mexican States of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas. It is the smallest of the Gopherus species growing to only about 8.5 inches (22 cm) SCL. The species is listed internationally as a CITES II species and is federally listed in the United States under the Endangered Species Act. Because of this protected status, it is illegal to collect a Texas tortoise from the wild in the United States. The only legal manner in which to acquire a Texas tortoise is by adopting one from a state recognized organization or to be given a hatchling from a breeding captive animal. Again, check with your state wildlife agency BEFORE you consider adopting an animal of this species as United States federal law protects it. Texas tortoises sometimes construct burrows in sandy soil but they are more typically found in shallow pallets or “resting formsâ€Â. They are also known to use empty mammal burrows.
I realize I don't know as much about turtles and tortoises as you do and you are the resident expert here, but I CAN read and every place I have gone to researching this tortoise says it comes from Texas, so what am I missing out on here? Am I supposed to not believe the 10 or 15 different research areas that say the Texas tortoise comes from Texas, because you say they don't come from Texas? I know I am just a dumb blonde but I can and do read and that's what I read,
the Texas tortoise (Gopherus berlandieri) comes from South Central Texas into Mexico.
egyptiandan said:Maggie
With answers to Rob's question, we can give you a pretty good idea of what might work for you.
Danny
I have to jump in here! Maggie isn't referring to a California desert tortoise in her last sentence, she's referring to a Texas desert tortoise. Just a little mis-communication!
Yvonne
I'm seeing that now Just never heard anyone call a Texas tortoise a Texas Desert tortoise. Thats why I like latin names.
So to fix things Gopherus agassizii is not native to Texas and Gopherus berlandieri is native to Texas.
There I feel better, latin names
Danny
Just never heard anyone call a Texas tortoise a Texas Desert tortoise. Thats why I like latin names. So to fix things
Gopherus agassizii is not native to Texas and Gopherus berlandieri is native to Texas. There I feel better, latin names
Danny
M
Maggie Cummings
Guest
egyptiandan said:I'm seeing that now
So to fix things
There I feel better, latin names
Danny
In my defense I used the Latin name in my very first post. The one where you said I was wrong...
maggie3fan said:
In my defense I never said you were wrong If you notice though you use "Texas Gopher Tortoise" (and thankfully used the latin name ) first. Than you talk about Sulcatas. Than you jump to Desert tortoise. Desert tortoise to me says Gopherus agassizii not G. berlandieri.Wasn't my intention to confuse the issue.
Sorry about that Maggie
Danny
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