Turtle Adoption

The RGTTC usually has several turtles available for adoption. Please contact us before you go to a pet store or Craigslist!

Adoption Season

Adoptions begin in the spring when the nighttime temperatures remain steadily at 50°F or above - usually around Mother's Day. The season ends Labor Day weekend.

Applicants

A person or family who wishes to adopt from RGTTC is willing to research the preferred species prior to making application. For example, many people fall in love with sulcata babies only to discover too late that this African tortoise does not hibernate, will outlive them, and grows to weigh 80 pounds or more. An applicant needs to be open to suggestions on husbandry and refrain from using pesticides or other toxic chemicals in the turtle yard. The applicant should understand that turtles and tortoises can be quite expensive to maintain and should be comfortable taking on this obligation. Applicants are also responsible for knowing local, state and federal laws concerning keeping chelonians. There may be fees involved.

Application

Applicants should complete the Adoption Application and Adoption Agreement and return them to us for screening. After a properly completed application is screened, an appointment is arranged with the applicant for a yard inspection. If the applicant is significantly outside of the Albuquerque metropolitan area, photographs of the existing habitat will be requested. We reserve the right to refuse any applicant. We do not adopt turtles out to persons under the age of 18.

Yard Inspection

RGTTC strives to place turtles and tortoises in homes which can replicate their native habitat as closely as possible. Each species has different needs. We do not adopt land turtles or tortoises to homes which can only provide an indoor habitat. Land turtles and tortoises may be kept indoors only on a short-term basis when they are sick, injured or in certain other situations. Yards are evaluated to insure a safe, escape-proof habitat.

• Wooden or chain-link fences with no barriers below
• Gates with a 3” gap vertically or horizontally (1/2” in the case of babies)
• Bushes or other climbable material next to a wall

These are all examples of possible escape routes which we will ask you to correct before placement of a turtle.

Box turtles need:

• Adequate ground cover (bushes, gardens, flower beds)
• Loose soil for burrowing and hibernation
• Easy access to water (shallow plant saucers recessed to ground level work well)
• Places to hide (they do not like open expanses) or to seek shelter from the weather. Hide boxes or shelters can be constructed of many materials including plain terra cotta pots, half hollowed logs, a couple of boards with a slab of flagstone across the top, etc.
• Parts of your yard could contain plastic or landscaping cloth with landscaping gravel/rocks, but that should not be the greatest portion of the turtle's area
• There are naturally different requirements when one adopts an aquatic turtle or a tortoise which we will cover with you as applicable

Other Pets

Any household pet (dog, cat, ferret, etc.) must be kept separate from the turtle at all times. This is not an option. No dog can be left unattended in the same space as a turtle at any time. It doesn't matter how special, sweet and gentle your dog is. Turtles and tortoises are not chew toys. Bored and curious cats and ferrets are also known to cause extreme harm, and even death, to turtles.

Placement

Once an application is approved and the yard inspection has been satisfactorily completed, we will either deliver the turtle the same day or arrange to meet at a later time. Please note that we do not ship.

Fees

By adopting a turtle from RGTTC, you will be providing a safe, secure and healthy environment for a special and critical part of our ecosystem. We applaud your choice and appreciate your willingness to do your part in the care and conservation of this animal. With the adoption fee of $30, due at the time you receive the animal, you will receive a one-year membership with voting rights, and will receive our monthly newsletter.

Click here to view and print our Adoption Forms.