Arizonans searching for a unique desert companion could soon get the chance, with more than 100 tortoises up for adoption through the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
Each year, the department connects Arizonans with dozens of adoptable Sonoran desert tortoises. An increase in people surrendering the animal to the department has meant many tortoises ranging in age and size are in need of a new home. Captive tortoises are not able to be returned to the wild because they can carry respiratory diseases that threaten the wild populations.
Captive desert tortoises are often the result of illegal captive breeding. The species is protected in Arizona, meaning the tortoises cannot be taken out of the state.
While tortoises have specific needs, local experts
encourage those interested to reach out.
“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," Tegan Wolf, desert tortoise adoption specialist for the Arizona Game and Fish Department, 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."
A person looking to adopt a tortoise also should be aware of their long lifespan. A desert tortoise can live for anywhere between 80 to 100 years. Families can own a tortoise for multiple generations, depending on how old they are when adopted.
Those interested in adopting a tortoise are required to show they have a burrow for them to create a home in. In the wild, tortoises burrow into the ground to escape the desert heat. Tortoises are herbivores and should have accessible leafy greens, grass and flowers to graze on throughout the day.
Arizonans looking to adopt a tortoise can apply on the Arizona Game and Fish Department's website.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Looking for a pet that can live to 100? Tortoises are up for adoption
