Sad but true!

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Posted by Paul V on July 06, 2000 at 07:00:44:

In Reply to: In southern US, people also eat Gohperus and other protected tortoises... posted by Denis Mosimann (Switzerland) on July 06, 2000 at 01:12:04:

Yes, they do. And in general it is poor people from rural areas. A gopher tortoise (or most any other large turtle) is a free meal for them. That still does not make it right.
But again, those of us who would be inclined to breed them are legally bound NOT to. In FL at least, there is a two tortoise per person possession limit. In other words, most families could have up to 6-8 tortoises. If these are adults, inevitably they will breed. So what then? It's a bad idea to release them, but you can't keep them either. So why even bother? Most people don't, and gopher torts are disappearing at an alarming rate.
Actually though, the biggest threat to gophers in FL is land developement. Keepers are limited in the number they may possess, but developers certainly do not seem limited in the number they can bulldoze over. It's a very puzzling concept. Protect the tortoises, but destroy their habitat (and them if they are still in their burrows).
The states in which gophers occur need a plan similar to that in place in CA which allows adoption, breeding, and exchange of tortoises by qualified individuals. If anyone out there can send me a copy of CA's law and regulations regarding the Tortoise Adoption Program, I would certainly appreciate it.

Thanks,
Paul V

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: Yes, they do. And in general it is poor people from rural areas. A gopher tortoise (or most any other large turtle) is a free meal for them. That still does not make it right. : But again, those of us who would be inclined to breed them are legally bound NOT to. In FL at least, there is a two tortoise per person possession limit. In other words, most families could have up to 6-8 tortoises. If these are adults, inevitably they will breed. So what then? It's a bad idea to release them, but you can't keep them either. So why even bother? Most people don't, and gopher torts are disappearing at an alarming rate. : Actually though, the biggest threat to gophers in FL is land developement. Keepers are limited in the number they may possess, but developers certainly do not seem limited in the number they can bulldoze over. It's a very puzzling concept. Protect the tortoises, but destroy their habitat (and them if they are still in their burrows). : The states in which gophers occur need a plan similar to that in place in CA which allows adoption, breeding, and exchange of tortoises by qualified individuals. If anyone out there can send me a copy of CA's law and regulations regarding the Tortoise Adoption Program, I would certainly appreciate it. : Thanks, : Paul V

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