It is illegal to remove a desert tortoise from the wild in any state. Captives are available for adoption. Procedures
and requirements vary from state to state.
Arizona | California
| Nevada | Utah
The Arizona Game and Fish Department administers the Tortoise Adoption
Program through which Sonoran desert tortoises may be adopted by Arizonans who
reside within the natural range of the Sonoran desert tortoise (Phoenix,
Bullhead City, Kingman, Lake Havasu, Tucson, and Yuma areas). Those interested
in sharing their yard with a tortoise should visit www.azgfd.gov/tortoise
for more information on feeding, caring for, and creating a habitat for a
tortoise. The desert tortoise adoption packet, which includes the adoption
application, can also be downloaded at this site.
In 1974 the California Department of Fish and Game established cooperative programs with several organizations to facilitate the handling of captive tortoises that people no longer want. The program includes the
California Turtle and Tortoise Club, other organizations, and several individuals. At no cost to the Department, members of these organizations provide temporary homes for the tortoises before finding suitable people to "adopt" them. They also provide quarterly reports of their adoption activities to the Department. These private organizations have been instrumental in developing methods for breeding and rearing captive tortoises. They are experts in tortoise husbandry. They maintain lists of individuals who want to adopt desert tortoises and can provide a safe home.
When you provide names of people in charge of local Adoption Programs to the public, select a person near to the person making the request. Be certain to provide more than one name in case the Adoption Chairperson is not available, has changed phone numbers, or has moved. If no Adoption Chairperson is listed, give the name of an officer.
In northern Nevada contact:
Reno Tur-Toise Club
P.O. Box 8783
Reno, NV 89507
Tortoise Hotline (775) 972-8532
In southern Nevada contact:
The Tortoise Group
(702) 739-7113
or (702) 383-TORT
A person may possess a captive tortoise with a certificate of registration from the Utah Division of
Wildlife Resources, under Rule 657-3-19, for scientific or educational use, if, in the opinion of the
Division, the scientific or educational use is beneficial to wildlife or significantly benefits the general
public without material detriment to wildlife. The Division rarely grants certificates of registration for
tortoises to persons living in Washington or Kane counties.
Contact:
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources/Wildlife Registration Office
1594 West North Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-3195
(801) 538-4887
