Endangered Species > Desert Tortoise

Desert Tortoise

The tortoise is starving to death despite the fact that it eats less in one year than a cow eats in one day. Disappearance of lush native grasses and flowers, a critical component of tortoise diets, has weakened individuals making them more susceptible to a devastating respiratory disease. Many tortoises have also been trampled to death by cattle.

The tortoise is most active during the spring when new plant growth is most abundant; and again in late summer following monsoons. The remainder of year is spent in their burrows.

The Sonoran Desert is an arid region covering 120,000 square miles in southwestern Arizona and southeastern California, as well as most of Baja California and the western half of the state of Sonora, Mexico. Stream sides may be lined with riparian woodlands composed of Arizona Ash, Arizona Black Walnut, Fremont Cottonwood and various willows, with a dense understory of Arrow-weed, Seepwillow and Carrizo. The Sonora Desert is rich in animal life.

For specific questions about our efforts to protect endangered species, contact Dr. Nicole Rosmarino, endangered species program director.