Tiletamine-zolazepam (A) (Telazol, TZ) is often avoided for chelonian sedation due to high dose requirements, unpredictability, drug effect resistance, and prolonged recoveries.(1- 3) No published studies have evaluated a consistent TZ dose across multiple tortoise species. This study evaluated the efficacy of 20 mg/kg intramuscular (IM) TZ in the pectoral muscles of multiple privately-owned tortoise species with varied clinical presentations.Twenty-one sedation events were performed in 20 adult tortoises representing six species, with each administered TZ (20 mg/kg IM). Heart rate, respiratory rate, cloacal temperature, palpebral reflex, jaw tone, neck, forelimb, hindlimb, and tail withdrawal reflexes were recorded every five minutes by a registered veterinary technician. Reflexes were scored (0 = normal, 1 = decreased/delayed, 2 = absent) at each interval. Successful jugular blood collection and endotracheal intubation served as the benchmark for adequate sedation. If sedation was deemed inadequate, the animal’s recovery was not scored, as additional sedatives were given to complete case-specific tasks. For successful sedation events, parameters were reassessed every 20 minutes until recovery (defined as head lifting) or until 120 minutes post-injection. TZ produced adequate sedation in 13/21 events (62%), enabling venipuncture and intubation, with 11/13 (85%) recovering within 120 minutes. This study demonstrates that TZ can provide moderate clinically useful sedation in a variety of tortoise species, with most (11/13, 85%) recovering within 120 minutes, with no respiratory support. Further work exploring species-specific sensitivity, physiologic variables, and increased dosages or combination protocols may refine dosing strategies and improve predictability of chelonian sedation outcomes.