...and speaking of tortoises;

            The California desert tortoise is an endangered specie and protected by law.  It is illegal to take, touch, harass, or otherwise bother them.  Looking from a discreet distance (something upwards of 10 or 20 feet) is probably acceptable.  The problem for them is that they will urinate when frightened (kinda like the old frogs and toads from your younger days!).  This loss of moisture can be a lethal condition for an animal that only gets a few sips of real water each year.

Tortoises sleep all winter long and are usually not active during the heat of the day, even when they are not sleeping.  Sometimes on a cool day, or in the morning and late afternoon hours they will travel around their regular route looking for food, water, or companionship.  With the intrusion of mankind into their territory they are at extreme risk from vehicles.  DRIVE SLOWLY on desert roads.  Small tortoises may be only 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter and at 45+ mph, you cannot see them until it is too late.  Even an adult tortoise can't survive a direct hit from an automobile or mobile home.

Off-road vehicles can easily collapse a tortoise den, which can be 9 feet, or more, in length.  A juvenile den can collapse under the weight of a large child taking a walk in the desert.  Tread carefully, and keep your eye out for oval-shaped burrows, usually located at the base of a sage bush.

If you should find a tortoise on the road, remove it carefully.  It is best to place it on something that supports its feet.  A box, a piece of plywood, a folded patio chair, etc.  Take the tortoise, IN THE  SAME DIRECTION it was traveling, about 20 or 30 yards away from the road and release it.  Minimize "air" time.  The longer its feet are unsupported the more likely they are to urinate.  Slow and deliberate behavior around them helps them to adjust to you and keeps them calm.

Report any dead or injured tortoises to the nearest BLM office.  They probably keep statistics on morbidity and mortality within their district.

DO NOT take tortoises home.
DO NOT take tortoises back to the desert once they have been kept as pets.
I know this seems a bit contradictory, but they can pick up a respiratory disease in captivity.  It can be treated, but not cured.  When released, they take it back to their neighbors.  Since there is no veterinary service in the wild, they die.  Their neighbors die.  They all die. 

We are the greatest threat to these magnificent animals.  Let's all help to keep them around for another few million years.

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