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Post by cooter on Oct 8, 2003 22:58:16 GMT -5
Today I found a tiny Desert Tortoise (2") walking on my driveway. I went to the reptile store and got him an aquarium, UVB Light, a under the tank Heat Pad and I put him in with a shallow water dish and some Turnip Greens. Any advice about how to care for these guys especially stuff that pet shops don't tell you? Since he's wild I need to find out if he's at risk of disease or anything else. Any input wouyld be great!
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Post by horngreen on Oct 9, 2003 20:06:17 GMT -5
I'm not positive but I think it may be illegal to keep that little guy although I'd like to have one. You might check www.tortoisetrust.org/ to see if they have any info on it's care. Good luck
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Post by kilroy on Jan 25, 2004 17:58:16 GMT -5
It is illegal as they are an endagered species. It's a federal offense as a matter of fact. I think the penalty for even touhing one is a fine somewhere around $20,000. I'm pretty sure taking one from the wild carries a prison sentence. They are very sensitive animals. They rely on the food they eat for water and store that water in thier bodies. If they become stressed they will urinate and loose valuable water, water that they may not be able to replace. As a result they will die of dehydration.
Probably the best thing you could do is make sure the tortoise is well hydrated and release it somewhere that it won't come into contact with people. Of course you'll have to keep a low profile about it to avoid getting caught.
This is one reason you should never take an animal from the wild. You may actually be commiting a crime dependednt on the local, state, federal laws, and the animals threatened/endongered status.
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Post by horngreen on Feb 4, 2004 21:40:57 GMT -5
Yes it is illegal although I'm sure you could contact you local wildlife department and they could release it somewhere safe without any laws being broken. You are probably doing it a favor because turtles don't stand a chance in inhabited areas with cars and lawnmowers. Nobody is going to arrest you or fine you if you just call the wildlife department.
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