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Encountering a Desert Tortoise...What to do ?

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Interesting facts.........

What do I do if I find a desert tortoise?

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When you encounter a desert tortoise follow these guidelines:

Enjoy the tortoise at a distance with binoculars, respecting that it is a wild animal. By keeping a distance, you will reduce stress to the tortoise. When a tortoise is frightened by an approaching person or dog, it may release the contents of its bladder. The loss of water can place the tortoise under unnecessary stress or contribute to early death.

Please do not handle tortoises. Do not pull tortoises out of burrows or cover sites. State and Federal laws prohibit touching, handling, or any type of harassment.

Be careful around tortoise burrows. The roof is very thin near the opening, and it is possible for you to trample the burrow, tortoise, or any nests.

If you see a tortoise crossing a remote, rarely-travelled dirt road, then you may wish to drive around the tortoise, taking care not to injure it or damage any vegetation. If you are on a well-travelled road and there is a chance that another vehicle will travel along the stretch of road and hit the tortoise, you may move it out of harm's way. Stop your car in a safe place along the roadside. Quietly approach the tortoise. Note the direction the tortoise was heading. Carefully pick up the tortoise using both hands and hold it upright in its normal walking position. Carry it carefully across the road in the same direction it was heading, and take it no more than a few hundred yards into the desert. Place the tortoise in the shade. Wash your hands thoroughly even when you have had only passing contact with a wild animal.

When you encounter a desert tortoise in the wild, please follow these guidelines:

First, carefully evaluate the location. The location of the tortoise will give you an important clue as to whether it is likely to be a wild tortoise or a captive. Tortoises found on the fringes of residential areas in desert towns are very likely to be wild tortoises. They may wander in and out of unfenced yards and along streets on the edge of the desert.

Second, without touching the tortoise check for signs of captivity, such as paint or holes in the shell. If there are obvious signs of captivity or the tortoise is well within an urban area (i.e., not on the edge of undeveloped desert), collect the tortoise and hold it in a box at room temperature in a secure location. Call the appropriate number below for further instructions.

Third, if the tortoise shows no such signs of having been a captive and is near undeveloped desert habitat, it should be treated as a wild tortoise. If you find such a tortoise, do not handle it unless it is in immediate danger of being killed. Let it proceed on its way. In Utah, if you find a tortoise that is in danger of being killed or injured in a desert city or town you should notify the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (contact information below). Otherwise, if you are in a state other than Utah and the tortoise is in imminent danger of being killed, pick it up carefully, keeping it in its normal walking position, and carry it a few hundred yards to the edge of the desert. You will help to protect the tortoise by allowing it to remain a wild animal. Wash your hands thoroughly even when you have had only passing contact with a wild animal.

For each state in its range, there are different agencies or non-profit orginizations that assist with desert tortoises. Contact the one for your area listed below:

Arizona

Arizona Game and Fish Dept.**

Nongame Wildlife Section

(602) 942-3000

California

California Dept. of Fish and Game

For San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Kern counties:

(805) 285-5867

For Riverside, Imperial and San Diego counties:

(760) 351-4827

California Turtle and Tortoise Club**

Nevada

Nevada Division of Wildlife**

(702) 383-8678

Desert Tortoise Conservation Center

Pet Desert Tortoise Hotline/Pickup Service**

(702) 488-9422

Clark County, Nevada - Desert Conservation Program

Wild Desert Tortoise Assistance**

702-593-9027

Tortoise Group (Las Vegas, NV)**

(702) 739-7113

Utah

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources**

(435) 879-8694

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We are just commenting on a topic regarding Dez Tortoises...."What if there were as many tortoises in the desert as little white lizards??" Cause those lizards are dashing this way and that! so far in 6 plus years of riding, haven't even seen one!

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Been riding and wheeling in the So Cal Deserts some 40 years now and I have never seen a desert Tortoise, so we have to make our own to eat.... Um, Um,Um I think they are found mostly in the upper deserts of So Cal?

post-835-093870100 1366129416_thumb.jpg

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Been riding and wheeling in the So Cal Deserts some 40 years now and I have never seen a desert Tortoise, so we have to make our own to eat.... Um, Um,Um I think they are found mostly in the upper deserts of So Cal?

MMMMMMmmmmmm Bacon

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Was wandering around the deserts near Barstow the last few days and came across this guy. He was a little camera shy so I left him alone to his own wanderings.

CiD

post-13540-058376500 1368036610_thumb.jp

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I was expecting a turtle soup recipe!

Thought the do not handle then wash your hands was Interesting. m..m

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Been riding and wheeling in the So Cal Deserts some 40 years now and I have never seen a desert Tortoise, so we have to make our own to eat.... Um, Um,Um I think they are found mostly in the upper deserts of So Cal?

Oh my kids are gonna like these. Thanks for posting that picture.

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