Found a Sulcata

[Outatime]

Hi All

Need some advice please, I have had my Sully George for several months now and he is doing great, I believe he is 7 years old and is a big boy. Anyway today on our way home my wife notices a tortoise walking up the road, we pull over to take a look and its another Sulcata maybe about 2 years old, no signs of damage or pyramiding so its either lived in the wild or come from a good home. We are going to ask around our community to see if anyone is missing one and put a sign up but I don't want just anyone claiming it thinking they can put it in a tank with water (you know the types). In the meantime I have put him in the yard with our old Sully who had a sniff but isn't taking much notice of him, is the little one safe with George right now till we find a home for the new one? Feel bad its someones pet but part of me is thinking its been out for a while and just made it to us, lucky I got it before it reached the highway. BTW FYI I am Central Florida.

Thanks

Stuart

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

wow that is awesome post some pics of him.

 

[mike taylor]

Its not a good idea to put a new tortoise in with yours . He could be sick or have parasites to pass to your tortoise . Make him a holding enclosure . Good luck finding his owners. Can you post a picture? You may have found a gopher tortoise .

 

[Outatime]

Thanks for the message, this was a photo I took with George, will move him now away from my one, thanks for the heads up.

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

the little one doesn't look like a sulcata to me.......

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

looks like a desert tort maybe? where do you live?

 

[Outatime]

Hi, Central Florida, we do have a large field next to us and lots of swamp land if that's any help. Damn was sure it was a sully mainly from the legs with the spurs.

 

[chaseswife]

I thought it looked more like a desert tortoise from just that picture too. .. but I am still pretty new to the forum and it is just one picture.

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

yea thats a gopher tortoise an endangered species.

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

im 100% sure thats a gopher tortoise

 

[Outatime]

Wow, ok, so what should I do with him? Let him go near the field? or should I call someone ?

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

i live in California. all i know is that your not allowed to like touch them

 

[mike taylor]

Yes that is a gopher tortoise . You need to put it back where you found him . It's important to make sure you put him where you found him . They are very territorial and will push out or even kill another tortoise . Pluss it is illegal to even touch one . So put him back and walk away . But good looking out .

 

[Outatime]

Think I will relocate him near the field, glad I noticed him even if he did **** all over my shorts. Someone could have run him over!

 

[Outatime]

Thanks Mike, surly I shouldn't put him back on the side of a road should I?

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

um how far is the field from where u frond him?
i know they love making there burrows near the sides of the road because its warm maybe his burrow is near the road?

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

go to 7 minutes in to the video to the gopher tortoise part.

 

[mike taylor]

Thanks Mike, surly I shouldn't put him back on the side of a road should I?

I wouldn't put him on the road . But I would put him back off the road a little this time of day he would go back to his burrow .

 

[ascott]

Am I clear on understanding? This newly "found" tort has been in the same enclosure exposed to your Sulcata?

 

[bouaboua]

I think so Angela. People should know how to quarantine a new torts before introducing to our herd.