On April 2, 1990 the Desert Tortoise was listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The attempts to preserve this signature species have been central in shaping the destiny of the California deserts ever since.
Efforts to protect habitat critical to the tortoise’s survival have frequently led to conflicts with forces of development, utility management, waste disposal, military annexation, and motorized recreation. Large-scale coordinated land-use plans have resulted as the agencies charged with the responsibility of preserving the endangered tortoise, as well as other desert species, have sought solutions among competing interests in the desert. But the lesson remains the same: This lumbering, likable ancient cannot survive in any meaningful way unless the desert, in its wild state, survives, also.
Like other reptiles, the Desert Tortoise is cold-blooded. To survive in the desert, the tortoise “sleeps” through the heat of the summer and the cold of the winter in a burrow deep underground. Tortoises come out in the spring (and for a short period in the late summer and fall) to eat, drink, socialize, travel, etc. At other times of the year, they are less active or not active at all.
Reducing habitat through development and other land uses, as well as inducing the proliferation of predators such as the raven, are ways in which humans are having a negative effect on the tortoise. Other human activities that threaten the survival of the desert tortoise and are illegal:
- Removing wild tortoises from the desert
- Releasing pet tortoises into the desert (they often carry disease)
- Driving off-road and in areas not designated for off-highway vehicles
- Crushing tortoises as they are crossing roads
- Shooting at tortoises
- Handling tortoises found in the desert (this may cause them to void their vital internal water supply)
If you want a Desert Tortoise as a pet DO NOT take one out of the wild; there are already many displaced tortoises looking for a good home. Contact your local Turtle and Tortoise Rescue. You MUST have a permit to keep a Desert Tortoise as a pet.
For more information on adoptions, care, and rescue please see LINKS below.
LINKS:
Tortoise rescue, adoption, and care:
To learn more about the life of this fascinating local reptile, visit:
Political, scientific, and preservation issues:
