What is a desert tortoise?
A desert tortoise is a type of tortoise.
A desert tortoise is also known as a desert turtle, or gopher tortoise.
** they are critically endangered **
What does a desert tortoise look like?
(see picture here)
Where is a desert tortoise located?
Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah, as well as parts of Mexico, and in the Mojave, Colorado, Sonoran, and Sinaloan deserts.
To survive the harsh environment of the hot, dry desert tortoises spend much of the year in burrows dug under shrubs or in caves which provide protection from the extreme heat.
When would you most likely see a desert tortoise?
They emerge in late winter and early spring to feed and reproduce.
What does a desert tortoise eat?
A desert tortoise can survive up to a year without water.
eat a variety of native plants, esp. the flowers of desert annuals and grasses.
How long do they live?
may live more than 60 years
At what age can they start reproducing?
They are not ready to reproduce until they are 15 to 20 years old.
When do they breed?
The breeding season varies from year to year and across the tortoise’s geographic range, but generally occurs in the spring (April and May) and again in the fall (August through October).
Resources
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_tortoise
