I almost stepped on this little guy early this morning. Opened the door to the front porch and he was right there, and my eye suddenly registered something foreign where I was about to put my foot. It's still a juvenile (carapace 7"), and we've been seeing him come up to the front yard for several years now. The first time it was 5", and they can grow (slowly) up to 15", also live for up to 80 years. The tortoise is a protected species in AZ, and you cannot keep one as a "pet" without first getting a permit from AZ game and fish. We just enjoy watching it come and go, usually in the yard in front of the porch. This is the first time I've seen it up on the porch.
 

there is a lady in Scottsdale that has two in her fenced in back yard.
she has a 20 inch dia. water hole for them , with a canopy over it.

they are much friendlier than a cat.

I think she said that they go in too a hole for a while during certain parts of the year.

 
After the sun came up, it decided to leave the porch for some basking in the sun.
 

Cool. We used to see box turtles in NJ. Saved a few on the highway.

I haven't seen any land turtles here in Western Washington.

Very cool! When I was growing up in the San Fernando Valley (So. CA), we used to see these regularly, running (walking! ) wild in our neighborhood. With the density of housing development, they're all gone. So glad to know they're out here and I'm looking forward to seeing one in the wild.

I see box tortoises only rarely around here, but they are cool little animals.