Larry VZ
New Member
Hello all!
I have been checking out tortoise forums and decided to join this one and just wanted to introduce myself. Since retiring and moving to Arizona a few years ago I have discovered a love for the Desert Tortoise which I never even heard of until moving here.
I live about 60 miles north west of Phoenix and the Sonoran Desert is my playground because to my way of thinking, adventure begins where the blacktop ends. My favorite thing to do is explore the desert in my Jeep and a couple of years ago I came across an adult Desert Tortoise at the top of a small but very high and rocky hill. I’d never seen one before so I stopped to watch and photograph it for a bit. When I returned home and learned what it was, I learned that most Arizonans can live here their entire lives and never see a Desert Tortoise in the wild. I felt very privileged indeed! Last year, I saw another and when I heard that volunteers were needed by a state sanctioned wild life rescue facility I knew what I wanted to do in my spare time.
There are about 100 of these wonderful creatures of all ages under our care here, and last week a staff member told me that one of the babies was occasionally falling onto its back and needed to be more closely monitored than could be provided at the center. Also, she said, its shell is soft and the little thing generally just needed some watching and TLC. Of course I said yes and it went home with me that afternoon.
Since then, I’ve been reading constantly, trying to learn all I can about what may be wrong with it and what I might be able to do of all the forums I have checked. This one has answered all of my questions so far and I wanted to join. Thank goodness, we haven’t had any mishaps yet and it has been eating well and keeping all four feet on the ground. It spends most of its time sleeping but it spends most of its time outside its burrow and I am really enjoying having it here.
I have been checking out tortoise forums and decided to join this one and just wanted to introduce myself. Since retiring and moving to Arizona a few years ago I have discovered a love for the Desert Tortoise which I never even heard of until moving here.
I live about 60 miles north west of Phoenix and the Sonoran Desert is my playground because to my way of thinking, adventure begins where the blacktop ends. My favorite thing to do is explore the desert in my Jeep and a couple of years ago I came across an adult Desert Tortoise at the top of a small but very high and rocky hill. I’d never seen one before so I stopped to watch and photograph it for a bit. When I returned home and learned what it was, I learned that most Arizonans can live here their entire lives and never see a Desert Tortoise in the wild. I felt very privileged indeed! Last year, I saw another and when I heard that volunteers were needed by a state sanctioned wild life rescue facility I knew what I wanted to do in my spare time.
There are about 100 of these wonderful creatures of all ages under our care here, and last week a staff member told me that one of the babies was occasionally falling onto its back and needed to be more closely monitored than could be provided at the center. Also, she said, its shell is soft and the little thing generally just needed some watching and TLC. Of course I said yes and it went home with me that afternoon.
Since then, I’ve been reading constantly, trying to learn all I can about what may be wrong with it and what I might be able to do of all the forums I have checked. This one has answered all of my questions so far and I wanted to join. Thank goodness, we haven’t had any mishaps yet and it has been eating well and keeping all four feet on the ground. It spends most of its time sleeping but it spends most of its time outside its burrow and I am really enjoying having it here.