Tortoise found on freeway

Kyle Sandahl

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Joined
May 27, 2019
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3
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Pearblossom
Had a person contact me knowing that I have desert tortoises I take care of & have on my property, he starts telling me that he had found a tortoise on the 14 freeway in Lancaster California. He saw it last second and swerved to avoid it and slammed on his brakes and ran back and got it before it got hit. He brought it to me and we've had it for a couple weeks now and are having trouble getting him to eat. Just by the way he acts I can tell he was someone's pet, so it makes me wonder if he escaped or had been dumped. I'm pretty certain he's a desert tortoise but we're starting to definitely believe that he's not native to our desert. He shows no interest in the same food that we feed are desert tortoises, we got him to drink water and had him soak for a while and he definitely enjoyed that. He's even eating the tops of some weeds in his enclosure area outside that I got that's the only thing that I've seen him eat. If somebody can help me identify the type of tortoise he is I'd be able to find the food he likes.

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Yvonne G

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It IS a young male desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii). Feed him weeds and grass. He 's in pretty good shape. Did either you or your friend try to find his ownwr?
 

Kyle Sandahl

New Member
Joined
May 27, 2019
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Location (City and/or State)
Pearblossom
It IS a young male desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii). Feed him weeds and grass. He 's in pretty good shape. Did either you or your friend try to find his ownwr?
Yea I've been watching online through facebook/craigslist/ local newspaper to see if anyone has been missing him, no luck so far. The friend that found him and brought him to me is a truck driver and is always on the road so he couldn't take care of him. If he is a desert tortoise he's definitely alot darker in color then my others, leading me to believe he might not be native to my desert.
 

Tom

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Somebody has lost their pet...

I agree with Yvonne's assessments.

His appetite is probably down because we've been having the coldest most miserable spring weather I can ever remember. Blechhhhh! I hate this weather! Lucky for your new tortoise, and me, we start a warm sunny trend today! :)

I'm just a little south of you in SCV. I spend a fair amount of time in your area thinning out the rabbit population in the winter with my hawks.
 

Kyle Sandahl

New Member
Joined
May 27, 2019
Messages
3
Location (City and/or State)
Pearblossom
Somebody has lost their pet...

I agree with Yvonne's assessments.

His appetite is probably down because we've been having the coldest most miserable spring weather I can ever remember. Blechhhhh! I hate this weather! Lucky for your new tortoise, and me, we start a warm sunny trend today! :)

I'm just a little south of you in SCV. I spend a fair amount of time in your area thinning out the rabbit population in the winter with my hawks.

Yea I agree 100%, he was someone's pet, he doesn't even show interest in digging a hole, we even started one for him. I've been bringing him in at night just because of how cold our weather has been getting, my other desert tortoises have all made there own holes and go into them to hibernate every winter. Have had them for over 30yrs. & they'll out live me probably.
 
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