Care of Desert Tortoises – Introduction

The California Turtle & Tortoise Club provide care information on their website.

INTRODUCTION

This care-sheet provides information on caring for adult desert tortoises and their hatchlings. The desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) is endangered in the wild and is protected under Federal and State laws. It is illegal to buy or sell desert tortoises, or to take them from the desert. In California, a permit is required to possess desert tortoises. Obtaining a permit is simple. Contact the California Department of Fish and Game, or the California Turtle and Tortoise Club for a permit application. The California Department of Fish and Game provides a tag to attach to the tortoise, and this is a useful way of identifying your tortoise if it should stray. California Turtle and Tortoise Club Adoption Chairs now tag all tortoises that are placed through the CTTC adoption programs.

For good reason, it is against the law to release captive desert tortoises back into the wild. Released captives have a low survival rate, and may pass diseases into the wild population with devastating consequences. Contact the California Turtle and Tortoise Club if you need to find a new home for a tortoise.