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Posted by Annie Lancaster-TortoiseAid on January 24, 2001 at 03:39:45:
In Reply to: Anne Lancaster Tortoise Aid posted by James B. on January 23, 2001 at 14:47:31:
: I have a friend I used to live with in San Bernidino, Who has had 3 DT's in his back yard for 30 some odd years, and yes he does have a permit for them.
Hi James,
Great! Glad to hear someone is complying! : Well recently they just had thier first clucth out of all these years. I called DFG and they said i was able to abtain a permit for having his offspring. Yes, if you are in California,and you are a California resident, you can. OK... Where in Nor Cal are you planning on taking this little tyke? I am asking because there are some areas they do very well, and others which they almost always die in. They are EXTREMELY sensitive to humidity, soil types, etc. I am mentioning this NOW so tha you don't end up with troubles down the road. I am originally from the San Francisco Bay area...some inland areas are OK for them...others...AWFUL. As for housing, desert torts here at TortoiseAid are outside as soon as they hatch. We do not keep them indoors under any circumstances, (with the exception of illness which is VERY rare) They need the very strong sunlight to assist them with digestion, metabolism, thermoregulation, good bone formation, etc. They also need a suitable burrow started for them...as well as hiding places and Mojave native vegetation. Desert tortoises kept indoors tend to experience health problems down the road. They are accustomed to a VERY harsh environment in the wild, being in captivity does not change that at all. Please consider the needs of this animal, and the fact that it will, with proper care outlive you. That it needs to be in an arid area...and can't tolerate dampness, excessive humidity or living indoors. You've no doubt seen your friends tortoises...if they are of breeding age...they're at least 15 to 25 years old. It takes a tortoise that long to reach adult size/maturity...to give you an idea of size. However...there are LARGE variations in sizes of adult animals...depending on sex (males are generally larger), genetics (specific populations tend to be of the same size and coloration, etc.) The San Berdoo area (where the hatchlings are now) is actually the beginnings of the Mojave Desert...it's dry, humidity is low, soil is approriate, and Desert torts generally fare very well in that area. It is a desirable climate. This tortoise (depending on when hatched) may already be accustomed to this climate...and may VERY WELL become ill if moved. It might be better to attempt to adopt a tortoise in Northern CA if your going to be living in an area which wil support the needs of the animal. Hibernation is reasonably simple...they need a good strong box, filled with shredded paper (no ink) or surgical towels, with a lid. The box needs to be kept in a cool place, and MUST be kept safe from rodents at all costs. The box cannot be exposed to freezing temperatures...most of the time a dark closet in the house works very well. Please feel free to post any further questions. You might also want to join the desert tortoise mailing list by sending an e-mail to: gopherus-subscribe@topica.com Regards,
Here we go: (please don't take this to sound like I am being a pain in the butt, these are questions I ask people every DAY when I get inquiries.)
I hibernate (I can hear the gasps from the crowd now!) from the very first year, I always have, and never, ever have I lost a hatchling/juvenile CDT during hibernation. They are hibernated indoors, for safety reasons.
Annie
