Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hi

i was wondering if anybody could help me out. i just got this tortoise and haven't been able to find out the exact breed. if anybody could help me identify what breed my tortoise is i would really appreciate it.
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Where did you get the tortoise? In a store, or did you find it walking around outdoors? If in a store, what did they tell you it was?

If you found it in the wild, it looks like it could be a Texas Tortoise, but it is hard to tell from the angle of the photo. Do you live in TX where those would occur in the wild?

This tortoise was actually given to me by a friend. Her cousin had it but couldn't take care of it anymore. I really don't know where her cousin got it from.

I live in deep south texas, about half an hour from the mexican border.

Here are some links to more pictures that may help with identification.

http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae140/1turtle2go/P1010199.jpg

http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae140/1turtle2go/P1010200.jpg

You have a young Texas Tortoise, also known as Berlandier's Tortoise. This is one of four types of type of Gopher Tortoises which occur in North America. How long have you had it and has it been exposed to any other pet reptiles?

Check out this Care Sheet link:

http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/Gberlandiericare.htm

More Photos:

http://www.greglasley.net/textortoise.html

I believe it is contrary to TX state law to collect or possess Texas Tortoises. See the last link below from Houston Zoo. You might want to speak to someone in the state wildlife dept. and ask them about that:

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/txtort/

http://www.houstonzoo.org/en/cms/?1360

Good luck. Let me know what they tell you to do with the tortoise if you check with them. If it has never been in contact with other reptiles, they may tell you to take it back where it was found and let it go, but I am not sure. They may also tell you to give it to a nature center or a zoo. It is not something I hear much about these days.

Thanks for the links and your information. After doing some research I came across those sites, as well as others.

This tortoise has not been exposed to other reptiles. However, I do have two other tortoises but they were never placed near each other. They have separate tortoise tables. Picture bunk beds style if you will.

I will contact the local zoo and hopefully they give me some more information as to what I can do. This tortoise is beautiful and I wish I could keep it. I understand that it is a protected animal, and I just want the best for it. So hopefully the zoo can tell me what I can do. If they tell me to put it where I found it....I wouldn't know where to put it because I have no idea whatsoever where my friend's cousin got it from. So I really hope that the local zoo can care for it. I just wonder if they will give it proper care and all.

Thanks for your help! I'll get in contact with the zoo and when I hear word from them, I will let you know.

One of my friends is the head of the reptile department at Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, TX. I told her about the tortoise you have, and she says that if you are close enough to Brownsville to take the tortoise to her, they have a spot nearby where they can release tortoises which have been in captivity. Her name is Colette Adams. Tell her Bill Z sent you and she will know what you are talking about if you call her.

By the way, if your tortoise has been in the same room with any other tortoises, it is considered to have been "exposed" to others. The main disease they are afraid of introducing into wild populations is an airborne respiratory problem common to many captive tortoises, so if yours has been in a room with your other tortoises, I wouldn't advise that you release yours into the wild again.

Colette Adams is one of the most experenced turtle and tortoise keepers/breeders in the World. Best looking one too! Vic M. yep, I know I've had a crush for over 25 years.

(You letch... although I agree...)

On a side note... It was really refreshing how this post was responded to and you all know what I'm talking about.

Sweet. Don't you wish it was always like this?

>>Colette Adams is one of the most experenced turtle and tortoise keepers/breeders in the World. Best looking one too! Vic M. yep, I know I've had a crush for over 25 years.
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Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

Thanks for your kind comments, Ed and Vic.

everything changed...for the better I hope! perhaps the good old days are near once more?!? except we all getting older and more, much more mature as time slips by ...

Sweet. Don't you wish it was always like this?

Don't you believe it. Notice it's an ol timers replys (no disrespect, bill).

>>everything changed...for the better I hope! perhaps the good old days are near once more?!? except we all getting older and more, much more mature as time slips by ...
>>
>>
>>Sweet. Don't you wish it was always like this?
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Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

hats off to ya in that heck of da woods!!! at least it keeps ya brain freshfromfryin' by dry alsphalts and other elements...

>>>Don't you believe it. Notice...

Sorry for replying until now. Just now I got my computer up and running again.

But anyways, thanks to everyone for your responses.

And thank you for recommending your friend at the zoo in Brownsville. I'm actually about maybe 45 minutes away from the zoo. I was planning on going to a city near brownsville in the next few weeks. So I will be stopping by the zoo as well. So they will be releasing this tortoise into an area that's safe for it? I want to see when this happens! I love this tortoise : )

I will call the zoo this week and get something worked out.

Thanks alot for talking to your friend about it. Really appreciate it.

Good luck! When you do call the zoo, use this number: 956-504-2895. Ask for Colette Adams and tell the person that answers that you are the person with the Texas Tortoise who was referred to Colette by Bill Zovickian.

Let me know how everything works out once you are finished.

Ok, so I FINALLY got around to heading over to brownsville. So I took the tortoise with me and I took it to the zoo : (

Everything worked out fine. I just had to fill out a form saying that I "surrender" or donate the tortoise to them, and that's it.

I asked what they were going to do with it, and they said they were going to do blood tests on it then release it in a certain area they release their animals in.

I miss her already : ( but I know she will be much better out there on the fields struttin her stuff and keeping her species alive!

Very good move to turn her over to the zoo. Thanks for your update on the forum, too.

That is a really good tortoise story.
jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer