Gopherus agassizii questions!

[Charis]

Is there a good general care sheet for them out there that someone could direct me to? I've been searching but so far have not really found anything.
The back story is that I've been thinking about getting a turtle or tortoise for about a year an a half and have been looking into either an Easern box, Hermann's, Russian or Greek, mainly. We've finally bought our own house a few months ago, so I now have a yard that a nice, big outdoor enclosure could be built in. And I just got the chance to take a 10" probable male desert tortoise in, sort of a rescue, needs to be rehomed because of personal circumstances with the current owner.
Mainly I'm really interested in a detailed list of everything they might eat and what kind of requirements one would need for an indoor enclosure to be decent. An outdoor one will be the eventual goal but I'm not sure we could get it all setup this year, especially since this species are very good diggers?
Thanks for any pointers!

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

Hope this helps some;

http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/Gagassiziicare.htm

 

[Yvonne G]

This is about the best one I've read. Don Williams used to be (or maybe still is) the president of the Kern Chapter of CTTC. He knows his stuff:

http://www.donsdeserttortoises.com/2.html

 

[kimber_lee_314]

This is about the best one I've read. Don Williams used to be (or maybe still is) the president of the Kern Chapter of CTTC. He knows his stuff:

http://www.donsdeserttortoises.com/2.html

I was just about to post the same thing! Great minds think alike!

 

[Charis]

Thanks for the replies!
After thinking about it for a bit though, they sound like they might be a bit more than I should bite off at this time.

 

[Charis]

Well, apparently I lied. Looks like I will be taking in this little guy, possibly this year or next spring.

 

[Yvonne G]

Be sure to post pictures...we LOVE pictures!!

(I'd hate to have to send the picture police after you)

 

[Charis]

I've got two pictures from his current keeper.
His name is Charlie and his current keeper, my friend, was great friends with a guy named Charlie, who ran a turtle rescue. He was diagnosed with brain cancer a few years ago and had to find homes for all his torts really fast, until this last one was left.
At that point this little guy was quite the mess and no one wanted to take him and Charlie was thinking he would have to euth him, when my friend offered to take him in instead. He is now really healthy and his problems have cleared up. My friend named him after Charlie as a memorial. My friend owns a pet store and has had Charlie in his store for a few years but wants him to go to someone that can let him be outside and recently the neighborhood around his pet store has declined and he gets lots of idle, disrespectful people in his store all the time now that keep dropping gum into tanks and generally doing things to bother his animals, so he's been getting rid of most of his store animals and wants Charlie to go somewhere better soon too.

Anyway, that's his story! Now here are the pictures. (not my pictures)

 

[BeeBee*BeeLeaves]

Amazing story behind Charlie, wow! He is beautiful! Very sorry and sad to hear about Charlie the human. Must have been a wonderful man if he had a rescue. So excited that you will be hosting Charlie and he can have a home home. A pet shop for so long can not be super great for him, he deserves better. Yay for you, and Charlie! Lots of awesome CDT peeps here, read-read-read this section in particular, but all of TFO has great info, and holler if you need help. Congrats on your little jewel! : )

 

[Charis]

Thanks! I'm sure I'm going to have all kinds of questions!

 

[ascott]

Very cool..I don't believe any tort belongs in a pet shop....so very awesome that you have lent a hand for this tort....

 

[thatrebecca]

Wow Charis that's a great story. Charlie is definitely gonna be happier with you than in a pet shop. Keep in touch and let us know how the transition goes and if you need any help.