or have permission from parents. If you wish to adopt hatchings, a cover over the pen may be necessary to protect them from predators. Our mission is dedicated to the survival of the desert tortoise through education and adoption programs, working closely with government and military agencies, schools, community groups and local businesses. Save the Turtles Also look at the pictures of the burrow under construction. If you live in the following states click on the state to visit the appropriate adoption program. 3365 East St. #A. Anderson, CA 96007. Hours: Mon-Fri 8:00am-1:00pm or by appointment 530-941-0544. Check that your fence is underground at least 5 inches and that there is no route to escape around a gate, drainage hole, etc. The program is sanctioned by the Arizona Game and Fish Department and designed to assist with the transfer of unwanted or surplus captive desert tortoises to qualified private custodians. Information on purchasing licenses, permits, tags and other entitlements, can be found on CDFW’s Online License Site. A desert tortoise named “Tank” who has been Linda Crawford care for the last twelve years in Arcadia Tuesday. Yard Consultations are done in areas around Las Vegas. Build a pen or make sure your yard is secured with no possibility for escape. The program is sanctioned by the Arizona Game and Fish Department and designed to assist with the transfer of unwanted or surplus captive desert tortoises to qualified private custodians. Through the Tortoise Adoption Program, you can adopt a captive desert tortoise and become its caregiver. A roll of sod is often adequate to feed a tortoise, so it is not necessary to have a large grassy area. Tortoise Group is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that educates and advocates for the protection and well-being of the desert tortoise. It is best to locate the burrow in a high area of your yard that is shaded in the afternoon. California Turtle and Tortoise Club (CTTC) P.O. We will give you instructions on feeding, enclosures, heat & lights. Fill out the Desert Tortoise Adoption Application E-mail the completed application and photos of the tortoise's constructed habitat to: TAP@azgfd.gov or mail it … We are the only group in Nevada addressing this issue, through education, public outreach and adoptions. These animals are referred to the Department of Herpetology. This document consists of a two-page desert tortoise adoption application and the CDFW permit application. For new adoptions, each household is limited to one desert tortoise. For example, if you have dogs, can they be kept separate? Tortoise Group will help you become the custodian of a desert tortoise by advising you in creating a healthy tortoise habitat and providing a tortoise in need of a home. The tortoises can never be obtained from the wild, and they must be obtained through the program from another tortoise adopter. Box 1753 Chino, CA 91708-1753. Make sure your burrow is situated so no water can enter the burrow from rainfall, irrigation runoff or drainage. CTTC also offers a Combined Desert Tortoise Adoption and Permit Application Forms, available as a PDF on the CTTC website for persons wanting to adopt a desert tortoise. In Northern Nevada you will need a small insulated area for winter. John Virata, Tortoises like cozy burrows. We are a local grassroots, non-profit organization permitted by the State of California Department of Fish and Game to rescue and rehabilitate the endangered California Desert Tortoise. August 27, 2013 — Press Release: Arizona Game and Fish program seeks to minimize population of captive desert tortoises. Yes, but only if it is a captive pet. Leave wild tortoises wild! If you wish to proceed, prepare your yard for the tortoise: Press Release: Arizona Game and Fish program seeks to minimize population of captive desert tortoises, pictures of the burrow under construction, appendix I (Tortoise Care & Husbandry link). For some individuals the desert tortoise can make a good pet. Nothing is known about Dima other than he was another wild-caught pet store Russian. Please feel free to contact us if you have a tortoise in need of a home or if you have any questions pertaining to the proper care of your tortoise. About Tortoise Group. Register to Legally Adopt Pet Tortoise (RLAP), Brumation (Hibernation) When an Outdoor Burrow Is Not Available, External Examination Checklist for Signs of Deficiencies, Disease, or Injury, Tortoises in the Classroom: Concerns and Alternatives. In spite of having more than a dozen tortoises adopted so far in 2014, there are still scores of tortoises looking for new custodians. The tortoise must live outside in a yard. This program ensures that the conditions for a tortoise are safe and offer a healthy environment. American Tortoise Rescue is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 1990 to provide for the protection of all species of tortoise and turtle. The program is sanctioned by the Arizona Game and Fish Department and designed to assist with the transfer of unwanted or surplus captive desert tortoises to qualified private custodians. In Northern Nevada we’ll work through sending pictures. Tortoise Group's mission is to educate and advocate for the protection and well-being of the desert tortoise. If you have any questions while preparing your yard, please call and leave a message and a volunteer will return the call to assist you. Russian tortoise, Greek tortoise, box turtle: 100 square feet Some people tell us they do not feel like they should have to put effort into building an enclosure until their adoption application has been approved. It’s been a busy summer so far for Tortoise Group, the Las Vegas nonprofit group that handles pet desert tortoise adoptions in Nevada. Tortoise adoption is a wonderful way to provide a Tortoise a second chance and caring environment. Private individuals become turtle/tortoise custodians, not owners. The Tortoise Adoption Program administered by the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum was established to aid the welfare of tortoises already in captivity and insure the preservation of wild tortoises. UTAH’S S DESERT TORTOISE DESERT TORTOISE ADOPTION BOOKLET ADOPTION BOOKLET UPDATED UPDATED 2010 2010 Booklet Includes: • Guide to Escape Proofing Yards • Burrow Building Plans • Diet Recommendations • Hibernation Tips • List of Poisonous Plants & Much, Much More! This program ensures that the conditions for a tortoise are safe and offer a healthy environment. Each household adopting a tortoise for the first time is limited to one adult tortoise. Caring for a tortoise is a long-term commitment; they can live to be 80-100 years old! Provide food for the tortoise in the form of grass or native plants. Preservation of wild tortoise and turtle populations is emphasized and information about care and husbandry of captive tortoises and turtles is provided by telephone (520) 883-3062, information pamphlets, and this web-site. There is an Adoption Fee in total of $75. Where should I release it? Russian Tortoise Male, 11 oz., unknown age. To begin a Traditional Adoption please fill out an adoption application. A self-locking gate is desirable to prevent escape. If you are interested in adopting a captive tortoise please call 801-538-4746 or email tortoise@utah.gov. First read all the information on the care of the desert tortoise on this website, including the appendices. The tortoise was adopted officially through the Tortoise Group Adoption Program approved by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (ASDM) established the Tortoise Adoption Program (TAP) to benefit the welfare of captive and wild tortoises and turtles. Under the authority of the US Fish and Wildlife Service and Nevada Department of Wildlife, Tortoise Group has performed adoptions of the threatened Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) in Nevada for many years. Animals suffering from disease or malnutrition are generally retained for rehabilitation. If you wish to adopt a small tortoise remember to downsize your burrow. At the Yard Consultation there is a charge of $10 for members or $20 for nonmembers that is applied to the Adoption Fee. Desert Tortoise Group of Las Vegas, NV, Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum, San Diego Turtle & Tortoise Society, Zackery Zdinak with Life Drawing and Education for the desert tortoise illustration (© 1999 Zackery Zdinak). G. agassizii is distributed in western Arizona, southeastern California, southern Nevada, and southwestern Utah. The Arizona Game and Fish Department is having a tortoise adoption event soon. It is illegal to collect tortoises from the wild. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (ASDM) established the Tortoise Adoption Program (TAP) to benefit the welfare of captive and wild tortoises and turtles. Welcome to The Arizona Tortoise Rescue. The tortoise must be well cared for and cannot be removed from the state. Wild tortoises will often hiss and urinate on you if handled. Our mission is to rehabilitate tortoises as well as to give a forever home to any tortoise in need. You will fill out a two page adoption application when you get here. Natural History. Can I release it into the wild? Desert tortoise adoption Captive desert tortoise care . An inspection will be scheduled and a determination made at that time what size tortoise will be best for your yard. Build a burrow following the guidelines on this site. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (ASDM) established the Tortoise Adoption Program (TAP) to benefit the welfare of captive and wild tortoises and turtles. A breeding pair of desert tortoises must be separated. However, if one adopts it from a rescue, it would be illegal to return it to the wild, since then, it will die. If the owner wants to disown it, the pet must either be handed over to some other owner who is willing to take care of the pet, or else to the conservation center. Adoption fee $50 Desert Tortoise Preserve Committee 909-683-3872 Northern California www.slowandsteadyreserve.org (707) 704-2540 Sacramento Turtle & Tortoise Club 916-421-1134 San Diego Herpetological Society 760-533-2611 San Diego Turtle & Tortoise Society 619-593-2123 Adult tortoises need a space about 18 feet square, she said. Dima is social, curious and ready for a forever-home. They cannot be inside your home, and they must have a large burrow, Wolf said. It is illegal to harass or collect wild tortoises. 50 Desert Tortoises Available For Adoption By Arizona Residents. Most pets arrive at shelters because the owner had to move, could no longer afford the pet, had a death in the family, or simply gave up the responsibly of being a care taker for a Tortoise. You must be 18yrs. Irrigation will be necessary, especially for the grass. Those that cannot be rehomed stay in the care of American Tortoise Rescue for the remainder of their lives. The TAP exclusively addresses the Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) in the Tucson area (within the natural distribution of tortoises). The animals remain the property of the State of Arizona. A desert tortoise must have a well-insulated burrow. There is a adoption fee of $75 for new custodians (An initial site visit charge of $20 for nonmembers and $10 for members will be deducted … Tortoises naturally occur on the lower slopes of … The program is therefore dedicated to the well-being and survival of the desert tortoise throughout its range. Cover the burrow with a minimum of 8 inches of soil on top, sides and back. Dozens of Sonoran desert tortoises up for adoption in Arizona The Arizona Game and Fish Department is asking for the public's help in finding some desert tortoises a home! Beak and nails will be trimmed prior to adoption. Tortoise Group will help you become the custodian of a desert tortoise by advising you in creating a healthy tortoise habitat and placing a needy tortoise in your home. “Hermy” the tortoise Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Photo by S. Southerland We offer permanent sanctuary to special needs turtles and tortoises. Pools, ponds and other bodies of water must also be gated to prevent the tortoise from entering, as they cannot swim. Their progeny are also held legally. Under the authority of the US Fish and Wildlife Service and Nevada Department of Wildlife, Tortoise Group has performed adoptions of the threatened Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) in Nevada for many years. ADOPTION APPLICATION. Resources for Environmental Consultants Desert tortoise handling guidelines. A desert tortoise must live outdoors. While the desert tortoise is threatened in the wild, there are many homeless pet desert tortoises. Traditional Adoption. Decide if you are comfortable with the requirements for tortoise care and the adjustments you may have to make to your yard. Desert Tortoise Adoption Program I found a tortoise, can I keep it? Mitigation measures. Only animals in apparent good health are placed with custodians. Tortoises are not placed between October 1 and April 1. 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