Nevada Fish & Wildlife Office
Pacific Southwest Region

Desert Tortoise Recovery

    This Manual does not authorize individuals to handle desert tortoises. Such authorization comes from both Federal and State wildlife resource agencies. This document supersedes what was previously titled Guidelines for Handling Desert Tortoises during Construction Projects (Desert Tortoise Council 1994, revised 1999).
     
 
  		• Acknowledgement and Table of Contents

     
  		• Chapter 1 - Purpose

     
  		• Chapter 2 - Procedures For Federal Endangered Species Act Compliance For The Desert Tortoise
     
  		• Chapter 3 - Federal And State Authorizations For Implementing Measures Required Under Sections 7 Or 10 Of The Esa For The Desert Tortoise -Mojave Population

     
  		• Chapter 4 - General Ecology And Survey Protocol For Determining Presence/Absence And Abundance For The Desert Tortoise - Mojave Population (.7MB PDF)

     
  		• Chapter 5 - After A Biological Opinion Or Take Permit Has Been Issued For The Desert Tortoise -Mojave Population: Preliminary Considerations Before Going To The Field
     
  		• Chapter 6 - Clearance Survey Protocol For The Desert Tortoise -Mojave Population

     
  		• Chapter 7 - Guidelines For Handling Desert Tortoises- Mojave Population And Their Eggs

     
  		• Chapter 8 - Desert Tortoise Exclusion Fence
           
        Entire Document - Desert Tortoise Field Manual (1.3MB PDF)  
         
     
  		• Desert Tortoise guard specifications
         
         
     
    Last updated: March 8, 2013