Raising shell: State agency needs help adopting 100 desert tortoises

Sure, puppies are cute. But the Arizona Game and Fish Department would like you to consider a different kind of companion: one with a shell, a plant-based diet and a potential lifespan of 100 years.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department is trying to find forever homes for more than 100 non-releasable Sonoran Desert tortoises who were rescued from an illegal breeder. These animals cannot safely return to the wild. Captive tortoises can carry respiratory infections that threaten the vulnerable wild populations.

“They can provide just as much companionship and personality as a dog or cat,” Tegan Wolf, the department’s desert tortoise adoption specialist, said in a news release.

Wolf said these animals are often so beloved, owners include them in their wills. It’s a practical step, given the species can live over 100 years.

The tortoises are herbivores, happiest grazing on grasses and flowers. As a state-protected species, cannot leave Arizona

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