Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello. I'm new to the turle forum. I hang out at the iguana forum on Kingsnake, usually. Yesterday, a wild turtle came into our yard, and ended up in a corner of the back of our house. It seems to be about 14 inches long. It's the biggest wild turtle I've seen. We live in SE Georgia, near wetlands. If the turtle stays, I want to take care of it. Can anyone tell me the species? Thanks. We have offered collards greens and carrots for the turtle to eat. Is this OK? Here is the picture:

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Lamar, Debbie, Nathaniel and Iggi :>~

That's one of my favorite animals, the Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus). They are listed as threatened in Georgia, and you need a permit to keep one.

Visit this site for more info : www.gophertortoisecouncil.org

It is a gopher tortoise. They are rare in georgia and highly threatened. The require unerground burrows to live properly. Please return the turtle to where you found it. They are very difficult to take care of and need to be kept outdoors. thanks

Aren't permits required in any state to keep a gopher tortoise? In Texas you must have a permit, I know that. I thought I'd read that you need a permit for one anywhere in the USA.
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PHRatz

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We tried. My wife took the tortoise out to our back fence, where an armadillo had dug under it, and held the fence up while the tortoise crawled through. Later that night, we heard a crashing sound outside, and found the tortoise had come back to the same spot it was in the night before. It had knocked over a table to get there. It has roamed around our back yard, and decided to dig a burrow under our tool shed. We have not seen the tortoise for days. Our intention was never to keep the tortoise as a pet, only to keep it warm and dry and fed while the rains from tropical storm Tammy went through our area.
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Lamar, Debbie, Nathaniel and Iggi :>~

If the tortoise isn't bothering you and if it isn't in danger, I suggest just letting it live in your yard. I would think it's a privelage to have an endangered species living in my yard. You could also contact your local fish & wildlife officials, and they may re-locate the Tortoise.