Gopher Tortoise

SCReptiles · 11-18-04, 10:40 PM

I took in an illegally collected gopher at the nature center this week. It’s an adult male. He is a little over 11 inches and scales at over 10 pounds. Since he is a federally protected species, I am not sure we are going to be able to keep him long term. I talked to our state law enforcement officer and he refereed me to the feds. They are currently checking TN permit status. I don’t know of any nature center or zoo in my area that has one, if the permits come thru, I think we will have the one on display in TN. I am so impressed by this animal. Turtles are not my forte but I am looking forward to working with this guy. You just don’t think of an animal like this be native to North American.

Me and Human, showing his back.

Me and Hurman, showing him from the front. (look at that head!)

Hurman with an 04 box turtle.

Buddha · 11-18-04, 10:43 PM

wow great picture good luck what everthe out come

AshleyL · 11-18-04, 11:14 PM

WOW! very nice!

mudflats · 11-18-04, 11:38 PM

Good for you man, there outstanding animals. I recently cared for a adult gopher that had been hit by a friends dirtbike going 50. Front shell was smashed but it all turned out ok. Wish i had photographs but i couldnt bring myself to take photos of an animal like that hurt. Goodluck, it will be most rewarding.

SCReptiles · 11-19-04, 12:17 AM

did he make it?

red bootz · 11-19-04, 12:21 AM

From the moment I started reading your posts from way back when I knew yoo were a tortoise person! Hope all goes well with the legal aspect of the whole situation cuz I know Herman will have a good home.

mudflats · 11-19-04, 02:09 AM

SCR, not sure. I cared for it for as long as i could being that the nature centers here would not take it. I was caring for it illegally and i decided to let it go. To tell you the truth the wounds werent "fatal" kind of wounds. Just worried about infection, and a piece of shell was sticking up cutting the torts neck while he moved it in an out. Took care of that with a dremal tool. all in all, i am sure he is fine, only thing that i was worried about was how deep one of the cuts was infection wise.

marisa · 11-19-04, 01:11 PM

HAHA The shirt and tie, with the camo jacket over is a nice effect Chuck! LOL

That tort is just too cute. So you guys are keeping him for now? Does he eat? Try to bite? He looks angry! lol

Marisa

SCReptiles · 11-22-04, 09:02 PM

What you see there is combination of what I am forced to wear coupled with what I like to wear. =)

He, he eats like pig. The feds have cleared us to keep him. I have moved my 48” vision cage over to the nature center as a temporary set up. We still have to get him cleared thru the board. He is not native to the area, so he is a little outside the scoop of the nature center, but on the other hand he is an endangered species and we currently have the only one in the state of TN so the staff is pretty hyped about keeping him. He is not defensive at all. Never attempted to bite of show any aggression.

There is virtually no information available on caring for these guys in captivity. If anyone has any info, please share. For now, I am sitting him along the same line we do our spur thighs.

Dani33 · 11-22-04, 09:10 PM

Here's a care sheet:

http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/Gpolyphemuscare.htm

Tim and Julie B · 11-29-04, 01:51 PM

I can't believe what I read in a reptiles mag a couple of months back that an Army base was expanding it's tank testing grounds right onto a well known gopher tortoise habitat. Take good care of it Chuck (try getting another to breed them) if things keep going the way they are those torts population is going to continue going down. A Gopher can out run a tank right?

Oh by the way I am totally jealous! TB