Wow! Are you lucky, or what? Evidently they really didn't care much for the tortoise if it was that easy to give it up. And box turtle??? I wonder if the poor tortoise was being fed fruit and worms.
Yes, it is indeed a desert tortoise. They are protected by law. It is illegal to take them from the wild or to return them to the wild. It is perfectly fine for you to have the tortoise, but please apply for a permit. It doesn't involve getting the government in your lives. All it does it put your tortoise and his registration number into a system so that if the tortoise is ever lost then found again, and his number is put into the system, he will be returned to you. No one will come out and inspect your home to be sure you're doing a good job. All it takes is sending them an application, then they send you back a little sticker just like a car license renewal sticker. Any CTTC chapter can give you the form to fill out.
One of the very best desert tortoise care sheets that I've ever read is put out by Don (I'm not sure if I ever knew his last name), and here's a link to his site:
http://www.donsdeserttortoises.com/2.html
Yes, it is indeed a desert tortoise. They are protected by law. It is illegal to take them from the wild or to return them to the wild. It is perfectly fine for you to have the tortoise, but please apply for a permit. It doesn't involve getting the government in your lives. All it does it put your tortoise and his registration number into a system so that if the tortoise is ever lost then found again, and his number is put into the system, he will be returned to you. No one will come out and inspect your home to be sure you're doing a good job. All it takes is sending them an application, then they send you back a little sticker just like a car license renewal sticker. Any CTTC chapter can give you the form to fill out.
One of the very best desert tortoise care sheets that I've ever read is put out by Don (I'm not sure if I ever knew his last name), and here's a link to his site:
http://www.donsdeserttortoises.com/2.html