Tortoise and the mayor

Lolita Harper

One of the smallest, greenest members of the Dixon family is missing.

Tex the tortoise has disappeared.

“I want an all-points bulletin put out in College Park,” Dixon joked.

Although she approaches the subject with a lighthearted attitude, the

fact that Tex is missing weighs heavily on her mind.

“I am really, really concerned about him,” Dixon said.

Tex is a 25- to 35-year-old Texan desert tortoise, with a slight

underbite and an affinity for dandelions, Dixon said. He is about 10

inches long and 6 inches wide, and has lived with the Dixons for about 10

years. While he isn’t worth any money, the Dixons consider him extremely

valuable.

“He’s like a member of the family,” Dixon said.

Dixon first noticed Tex’s disappearance in November and posted signs

around her neighborhood. She got no response. Because his disappearance

coincided with general tortoise hibernation season, Dixon figured Tex was

just holed up somewhere.

“I thought, he must be sleeping. He’ll come out in the spring,” she

said.

When spring arrived, there was still no sign of Tex. His two tortoise

roommates, Barney and Elvira, emerged from their slumber, but he was

nowhere to be found.

The Dixons are perplexed as to why Tex would want to leave what they

describe as a turtle’s paradise. He lived in a custom-made turtle house

with his two best friends -- both of whom are female.

Not only was Tex the lone reptile bachelor in the pad, he had access

to a 24-hour smorgasbord. Dixon planted her backyard garden so it serves

as a buffet for her slow-moving pets.

“They can just wander through the yard and nibble on lettuce and

clovers and cactus plants,” Dixon said.

Tex especially liked to munch on hibiscus, she reminisced.

That he’s an endangered species is another concern. Owners of desert

tortoises are required to register with the state, and Dixon fears that

someone who didn’t want to go through that trouble might have snatched

him up.

The Dixons adopted their first tortoise 12 years ago, when daughter

Cara was in first grade. Cara, then 6, acquired an adoration for the

hard-shelled animals and spread the word around school that she wanted a

turtle. A few weeks later, a parent knocked on the door with a new pet,

Dixon said.

“My daughter fell in love with them, and all of the sudden we became

the turtle house,” Dixon said.

Dixon would like the missing member of the turtle house safe at home

where he belongs, she said. Anyone with any information about Tex is

asked to call the mayor’s office at (714) 754-5285. A reward is being

offered.

* Lolita Harper covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .