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Desert Tortoise Recovery Office |
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How You Can Help |
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| You can help desert tortoises by being a respectful visitor to
the desert. The desert is a harsh but sensitive environment. Non-human
occurrences such as drought, predation and disease take a toll on
desert tortoises naturally. Adding human activities such as off-highway
vehicles, dogs, and fire can increase the threats to the species.
Stay on designated trails or roads and keep dogs on leashes to prevent
harm to desert tortoises. Report any free ranging dogs to local
animal control agencies. And as always, use caution with fire and
disposal of cigarettes. |
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| Desert tortoises may empty their bladder if frightened or handled
losing valuable water they need to survive in the desert. If you
are fortunate enough to see one of these elusive creatures in the
wild, view it from a distance. Since the desert tortoise is a threatened
species and protected under the Endangered Species Act, it is illegal
to collect them from the wild. |
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| It is legal, however, to adopt a pet tortoise through adoption programs in Nevada, California, and Arizona. These pet tortoises have been bred in captivity and should not be returned to the wild. Captive or pet tortoises may be unable to survive in unfamiliar territory and may introduce disease to the wild population. |
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| Properly dispose of food and garbage. Trash encourages and supports elevated numbers of ravens, which prey on young desert tortoises. |
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| To find out what is being done in your state, visit the Agencies Involved in Desert Tortoise Recovery page. |
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Last updated:
March 12, 2012
