Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am new at this and I need to find a wise turtle people to answer a few questions ie does he have to hibernate? Help in any fashion would be really cool!Also have another turtle a missippi map both given to me because they were in need of a home now husband and I on crash course on turtles and tortoises.Thanks

Is this a sulcata (spurred African tortoise) or a North American desert tortoise? If it's the North American species, then you might want to contact the California Turtle and Tortoise Club at http://www.tortoise.org/ for legal details and care instructions. If it's a sulcata, visit http://www.sulcata-station.org/

Katrina

where are you located? Do you live in the southwest united states? If you keep the desert tort you will want to house her/him outside and North American desert torts live in the sonora and mojave deserts, very warm dry places. Raising gopherus in different climates can be very difficult. If you do live in the Southwest US you will want to check with the legal situation as they are protected everywhere to differeing degrees. The American desert tortoise has VERY specific dietary requirements and they can be difficult to feed properly if you don't know where to get the right things.
The websites katrina mentioned are excellent but you may want to look here as well:

desert tortoises at WCT

There is not an abundance of good info on graptemys (map turtles)or their care in captivity on the webI if you want general advice about the map feel free to email me privately; i have a bunch of maps and would be happy to help.

I am in Montana a little cold for him to be outside a chunk of the year I am going to need to consider finding someone who wants a nice male tort mabye to breed we'll see he's really cool....

I don't see yet where you have said what kind of tortoise he is.

Do you know?

Can you email me a picture?