Hundreds of desert tortoises need homes, Arizona officials say. Here’s how to adopt

Two hundred desert tortoises in Arizona are in search of homes, the state’s Game and Fish Department said.

Many Arizonans may not immediately think to adopt a Sonoran desert tortoise instead of a dog or cat, but the animals actually make “fantastic and personable pets,” Tegan Wolf, coordinator of the department’s desert tortoise adoption program, said in a June 28 news release.

“It’s rewarding to hear stories from those who have adopted a captive tortoise and made them part of the family, because they’re a unique alternative to traditional family pets,” Wolf said. “They offer many of the same life lessons to children, and they can provide just as much companionship and personality as a dog or cat.”

The department has a surplus of the tortoises primarily because of illegal breeding, the release said. Tortoises of various ages and sizes are available, and the animals can grow to 14 inches long and could live for 100 years, the release said.

The animals can’t be released back into the wild because they could potentially spread disease to wild tortoises, officials said.

The department said it will allow the adoption of one tortoise per person, per household, though it could make an exception for people adopting another tortoise of the same sex if enclosures are completely separate, the news release said. The animals can be territorial, and it’s illegal to breed them in captivity, officials said.

Federal law also prohibits people from transporting the animals across state lines, the release said.

“One female tortoise living to 80 years old can produce more than 800 babies in her lifetime,” Wolf said. “This is why it is crucial that we work together to ensure that tortoises are not only placed in proper homes, but with responsible owners.”

People interested in adopting one of the animals can visit the department’s Tortoise Adoption Program page. The page features instructions on how to create a proper burrow for the animal and how to take care of it.

From there, interested Arizonans can fill out an adoption application, which will be reviewed by the department. Anyone who is approved to adopt a tortoise must have “a securely enclosed yard or construct a separate enclosure/burrow to prevent the tortoise from potential hazards, such as a fire pit, unfenced pool or dogs,” officials said.

Desert tortoises can typically only be adopted from April 1 to Sept. 30, as the animals “brumate” in the season after that, the department said. Brumation is a period of inactivity similar to hibernation.

People who adopt desert tortoises should be aware of their long lifespan and “should have a long-term plan in place in either a will or other succession plan as the tortoise may outlive its caretaker,” officials said.

And people who want to care for the tortoises, but can’t adopt them, can volunteer with the agency at its adoption facility, the department said.

This story was originally published July 20, 2022 at 3:22 PM with the headline "Hundreds of desert tortoises need homes, Arizona officials say. Here’s how to adopt."