Desert Tortoise

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Threatened species, near the Peralta Trailhead-- April 2004

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Anya Jingle

Great photo!

Voted 10/10

They are so rare to see. Nice close up.
I like this pic even better than the first one you posted.

Posted Jun 7, 2007 10:11 pm


	Bob Sihler	Re: Great photo!
	Hasn't voted	Thank you, Anya! I considered myself so lucky to see it. My wife took a bunch of pictures, too. It's the only one we've ever seen. I didn't even think it was the desert tortoise at first-- I expected them to be larger (thinking of those Galapagos guys, I guess)-- I found out later looking through a field guide.
		Posted Jun 8, 2007 2:06 pm


	Bob Sihler	Re: turtles
	Hasn't voted	Thank you, Fred, not just for commenting but also for sharing that story; it's great when something we see makes a personal connection. Maybe that's why I love the mountains, and this site, so much. By the way, look for a PM about Wyoming soon.
		Posted Jun 8, 2007 2:02 pm

dpk

we've adopted

Voted 10/10

these are cool to see in the desert -
I am a former arizona resident and adopted desert tortoise in tucson - here is a related link to copy & paste
www.desertmuseum.org/programs/tap_tortnathistory.html

Posted Sep 16, 2007 11:24 pm


	Bob Sihler	Re: we've adopted
	Hasn't voted	Thanks for that link. At first, I have to admit I was bothered by the idea of people taking in a threatened species from the wild, but I checked out the link and read about the program, which seems to be a good one. One thing I couldn't glean is what the overall objective is-- just to help keep the species going or to ultimately restore the animals to their habitat. So I'm curious about that. Nevertheless, were I living in AZ, I'd be interested in participating in the program.
		Posted Sep 17, 2007 4:35 pm


	cp0915	Re: we've adopted
	Voted 10/10	Good stuff. I've looked into adopting as well. Unfortunately, I haven't made the commitment yet. A noble cause, I think.
		Posted Sep 17, 2007 4:54 pm


	dpk	Re: we've adopted
	Voted 10/10	good point, I think the program is to help preserve the species but typically adopted reptiles are rarely released back into the wild since they can actually harm the gene pool with disease. I guess the theory is it's better to have some in captivity and live instead of dying.
		Posted Sep 23, 2007 9:55 am


	dpk	Re: we've adopted
	Voted 10/10	it is a commitment for sure - they have many requirements for proper health. You cant just through a handful of lettuce at them and leave em be. There temperature needs to be regulated and their diet carefully monitored. I agree it is a good cause - I would encourage you to research it some more if you decide to adopt, i supsect you'll never re-gret it. Most likely ours will out live us!
		Posted Sep 23, 2007 9:58 am


	cp0915	Re: we've adopted
	Voted 10/10	Yes, indeed. Believe me, seeing another one this weekend inspired me once again!
		Posted Sep 24, 2007 9:52 am

Bombchaser

Very cool

Hasn't voted

Always neat to see a reptile like this in the wild.

Posted Mar 6, 2008 2:02 pm


	Bob Sihler	Re: Very cool
	Hasn't voted	Thank you. Yes, I consider myself lucky to have seen it, as they are rare and becoming more so.
		Posted Mar 6, 2008 2:15 pm