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| Texas Tortoise (Gopherus berlandieri). Not as slow as they look... |
So this is a picture of a Texas Tortoise. Many people bring them into pet shops saying "I don't know what's wrong with my turtle! It won't eat!"
Well, to be honest, it's not a turtle, it's a tortoise and their favorite food is cactus, not pet store turtle food.
So why bring this up? They are a threatened species, and are not supposed to be kept as pets, by law! They were made a threatened species in 1977. You can find them mostly south of Bexar County into Mexico. Their range includes Atascosa and Wilson counties.
They are one of my most favorite animals (besides Hyenas), and I love to talk about them. Given the chance, I will stop any day, any time to look at one of these guys (or gals). I don't know why I like them so much, I just do. Maybe it's because they are so rare.
This picture was taken two years ago in my yard in Atascosa County, near the Pleasanton area. These animals aren't as slow as the books will tell you, so you have to take pictures of them quickly before they run off into the cactus.
I recommend you go to this site for more details on the Texas Tortoise.
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| The Tortoise has left the building! Well, it was never in the building. Or any building. You know what I mean... |