Travel with a young desert tortoise?

Sheldonsmytort

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Prescott valley, AZ
I have a 6 mo old Sonoran Tortoise that I want to travel with over this summer. I am beyond neurotic when it comes to taking care of him or maybe her. Due to BIG altitude and climate changes to travel I have questions.

I live in Prescott, Az. 5,500 feet.
I go to San Diego for the Months of May, June, July due to Multiple Sclerosis. Altitude is what, nothin????? Humidity doesn’t worry me, I can control that and reduce that if need to.

I have taken Sheldon to Phoenix recently for a month and he was fine, great appetite, drinking and soaking. Geary hearty little dude.
I am very concerned about the big change in altitude change going to CA? Has anyone had issues? I see so many posts regarding the shipping of hatchlings of Torts.

Any advice? He would stay in his inclosure. He lives in a 30Gal. tank. Fresh greens every day, he likes me to alternate. He is 3 inches in dia. and length now and he was only 1/2 inch when i got him in Sept.

Thank you in advance for your pointers,

sheldonsmytort
Shell
 

enchilada

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Weather in San Diego is paradise for turtles, tortoise and us .
Altitude ? You are not shipping a Tibetan Antelope . So relax .
 

Tom

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I have a 6 mo old Sonoran Tortoise that I want to travel with over this summer. I am beyond neurotic when it comes to taking care of him or maybe her. Due to BIG altitude and climate changes to travel I have questions.

I live in Prescott, Az. 5,500 feet.
I go to San Diego for the Months of May, June, July due to Multiple Sclerosis. Altitude is what, nothin????? Humidity doesn’t worry me, I can control that and reduce that if need to.

I have taken Sheldon to Phoenix recently for a month and he was fine, great appetite, drinking and soaking. Geary hearty little dude.
I am very concerned about the big change in altitude change going to CA? Has anyone had issues? I see so many posts regarding the shipping of hatchlings of Torts.

Any advice? He would stay in his inclosure. He lives in a 30Gal. tank. Fresh greens every day, he likes me to alternate. He is 3 inches in dia. and length now and he was only 1/2 inch when i got him in Sept.

Thank you in advance for your pointers,

sheldonsmytort
Shell
Its illegal to remove that tortoise from AZ.

You will have to cross through a government check point when you enter CA. If they find it, they are not likely to take pity on you because you love you tortoise. Best case, the tortoise will be confiscated and you will be fined. Worse case, they might decide to make a Federal case against you. Literally.

Leave your tortoise at home.

Its also about time for a bigger enclosure.
 

Pearly

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Its illegal to remove that tortoise from AZ.

You will have to cross through a government check point when you enter CA. If they find it, they are not likely to take pity on you because you love you tortoise. Best case, the tortoise will be confiscated and you will be fined. Worse case, they might decide to make a Federal case against you. Literally.

Leave your tortoise at home.

Its also about time for a bigger enclosure.

Tom, “government check point”? Really??? I have never seen those going across state lines
 

Pearly

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The check points between California and Arizona are hard to miss. Literally!

Really??? I lived on East coast and in Texas my whole adult life and my travels to the West have been limited. Just never noticed any of those. Guess I didn’t pay attention. Now I’m going to have to google this[emoji6]
 

Pearly

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Tom, “government check point”? Really??? I have never seen those going across state lines

And @Tom I hope this didn’t sound like I was doubting validity of your statement. I just didn’t know. We make annual pilgrimage to SE Fla from Tx going across 4 state lines and I just never noticed anything that would look like ... border crossing with customs or something like they have in some countries in Europe.
 
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Kenno

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And @Tom I hope this didn’t sound like I was doubting validity of your statement. I just didn’t know. We make annual pilgrimage to SE Fla from Tx going across 4 state lines and I just never noticed anything that would look like ... border crossing with customs or something like they have in some countries in Europe.

Pearly, it is specifically the Arizona / California state line. I haven’t seen any others.
 

Kenno

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And @Tom I hope this didn’t sound like I was doubting validity of your statement. I just didn’t know. We make annual pilgrimage to SE Fla from Tx going across 4 state lines and I just never noticed anything that would look like ... border crossing with customs or something like they have in some countries in Europe.

Pearly, it is specifically the Arizona / California state line. I haven’t seen any others.
 

NorCal tortoise guy

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Nevada to California also has check points its a California thing I believe. They are agricultural check points designed to protect the agriculture of California Ive never seen it in any other states in my travels ether
 

Pearly

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Whaaaaat????!!!!! For real???!!!!

It’s been probably at least 14-15 yrs since my last visit to the West Coast but I did travel in and out of CA by car and I don’t believe we ever got stopped nor did I see any check points. Is this something our brilliant government started doing in recent years? Or always been there I just never noticed it before?
 

ascott

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It’s been probably at least 14-15 yrs since my last visit to the West Coast but I did travel in and out of CA by car and I don’t believe we ever got stopped nor did I see any check points. Is this something our brilliant government started doing in recent years? Or always been there I just never noticed it before?

Been there for years.....it is for fruit fly or wild game disease....but if they notice a critter they can cause a real headache for the critter.....
 

ascott

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It’s been probably at least 14-15 yrs since my last visit to the West Coast but I did travel in and out of CA by car and I don’t believe we ever got stopped nor did I see any check points. Is this something our brilliant government started doing in recent years? Or always been there I just never noticed it before?

California Border protection Stations....
 
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