Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just acquired a hatchling gopher tortoise (still has his egg tooth but no yolk sac) that appears to have been born blind.

Very unique/interesting story on how this guy found "help". My best friend lives on 5 acres in prime gopher tortoise habitat and has a number of adults on his property -- they found this little guy right next to their house on the walkway to the garage and placed it in a shaded area in their backyard. When they went to check on it a few minutes later, it was gone (which you would expect) and they assumed it had found its way back into the brush/woods. Well, the next day, it showed up again in the exact same place -- directly on the walkway between their house and garage where they were sure to find/see it!!! (what are the "odds" of a blind hatchling tortoise getting back to the exact same spot on a 5 acre wooded lot!). Anyway, since it appeared that it was "meant to be", they called me to see if I could care for it.

Although there is an eye-sized dark area where the left eye should be, there is no lid and either the dark area is a partially formed eye (still beneath a layer of skin) or the eye-lid did not develop and the eye is dryed out or nonfunctional (this eye area does appear to produce some surface moisture).

On the right side, there does appear to be an eyelid (which is closed), although it looks smaller than it should be so I don't know if there is an eye under it or not.

Anyhow, I'm hoping someone on this forum may be able to provide some assistance/advice on getting this little guy to eat. I would think it should be able to identify food by smell -- any suggestions on what to try or how to try it? As an FYI, I have had a number of tortoises so I already know the "no iceberg lettuce rule" -- I am going to get some romaine lettuce and kale as I've fed these before -- any other recommended choices would be most appreciated.

I did place it in a pan of very shallow water (below chin level) to see if it would drink or have a bowel movement but niether occurred -- it did open and move its mouth so that does function and it was aware of the water as it kept its head up and soon walked to the edge and wanted to get out. The tortoise also has some dry/hard dark material stuck under its head as well as a few pieces in its front leg cavity areas (I think this may be material from inside the egg that will eventually fall off).

Thanks (FYI -- I already posted this on the herp health forum -- any other recommended internet resources?),

Tim

Tim, Tim, Tim... sorry man- but you can't keep the little guy. Gophers are super protected in all their range. I'm going to assume you live in Florida. I know a lady who got JAIL time in FL after being caught caring for a Gopher hit by a car. My vet treated the tort, and gave it to her becaue it could no longer live on its own. A few weeks later, she was arrested. I'm sure you don't want this to happen to you. My advice is to get the little guy to a wildlife rehabilitation center as soon as possible. It would be better for the tort and for you. Good luck! Brooks

Hi Tim,

for the time being I would sit him in the middle of a pile of small cut up food,- preferably in some plastic container, so he won't be able to walk away. This has worked for somebody who raised a redfoot hatchling without eyes.

Good luck,
Gaby

Gaby,

Thanks for the tip/suggestion -- I'll try that tomorrow after he wakes up (fortunately, he still appears to be plenty strong so hopefully he will seek out the food when it is presented in this manner).

Tim

Yes -- I am well aware of the protected status of gopher tortoises and this little guy may very well end up at a rehab facility. I would just like to do my part right now to help him out and so am seeking input/guidance from anyone who has dealt with this issue. I would also look into what would be involved with acquiring the proper permit to keep this little guy as long as I feel I can provide a long-term high-quality home for him.

Believe me, this is a VERY sensitive topic with me since land developers here in Florida can legally kill as many gopher tortoises as they want as long as they contribute money to a mitigation bank for the purchase/maintenance of off-site gopher tortoise habitat tracts; while someone like myself can't (legally) even go onto property being developed and save the tortoises! It is, IMHO, more than just a little bit "twisted" that this threatened species is being sacrificed for the sake of land development (as relocation of each individual tortoise is a very viable, although expensive, option). If what you say is true and an individual was actually jailed for taking care of a gopher tortoise, someone really needs to bring the absurd nature of this issue to the attention of those who can/will make a difference and get some common-sense/logic in place. This is most definitely a "Don't get me started" topic!

Anyway, thanks for the response and concern...

Tim