What kind of Tortoise is this?

[SulcataSisters]

Hi, I am new to this site. Our neighbor recently was given a tortoise and we are trying to help identify what kind it is. We have 3 Sulcatas ourselves. 2 Females (14 years old) and 1 male (9 years) and babies . Thank you so much for your help.

 

[Jacqui]

Welcome and glad your here! Hope you stick around even after you learn what this tortoise is. It looks like to me, that your neighbor has a Desert tortoise.

 

[lemondog]

I agree, desert tortoise

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi SulcataSisters:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

May we know your name and where you are?

That's a male desert tortoise. Please keep him separate from your sulcatas. I know that you said he was your neighbor's and not yours, but I just wanted to make sure that you knew not to mix species.

 

[Candy]

Ditto.

 

[drgnfly2265]

Hello

 

[SulcataSisters]

Thank you all for the information. Is he illegal to have?, he seems pretty tame. He has this long neck and bobs it up and down and he bites at the air.
Thank you all for the warm welcome. We live in Bonsall, California. (North San Diego).
I have attached some pics of the Sulcats Sisters and Mr. Little. Mr. Little is the tortoise behind coming up out the den. He is a rescue. He was fed dogfood and in horrible condition before we got him. He is doing much better now.
Mrs. Big & Mrs. Little were hand raised from babies by my husbands' grandmother. They are family members. They are egg laying and a joy to have.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi SulcataSisters:

No, they're not illegal to have (with a permit), but it IS illegal to take them from the wild or to buy/sell them. A permit is very easy to come by. Just contact the Department of Fish and Game. The tortoise doesn't belong to your neighbor, it belongs to the State of California, and your neighbor will have PERMITion to keep him.

 

[dmarcus]

Hello and welcome to the forum... Your Sulcatas look very nice...

 

[ascott]

He is a gorgeous male California Desert Tortoise. Your friend will need a permit...can obtain the permit from your local CTTC group. They will have you complete the permit form, they will sign it and hand you a permit which is authorizing your friend to be the host in the care of our state reptile....the permit sticker is supposed to be adhered to the tortoise shell, I would suggest somewhere that will not impair the growth of the tortoise...like on a scute and not crossing any of the growth line areas..all of mine wear theirs on their rear middle scute above the bungholio P)...we pimped their ride...LOL

He really is a beauty...he has the head and shape of one of my guys Herman....absolutely handsome.

They are great diggers/climbers/burrowers and very determined, so a safe secure enclosure will need to be constructed....since winter months are coming up fast, your friend will want to make plans for an indoor enclosure since the tortoise is new to them....IMHO that is...

 

[Claireabbo]

thinking desert hello