South Western Tortoise
(Desert Tortoise)
Basic Facts
The Desert Tortoise is an endangered species that lives in the Mojave Desert, Sonoran Desert, Southern California, Southern Nevada and Southern Utah. They live in desert washes and sandy canyon bottoms.
Interesting Facts
The Desert tortoise can live where the ground gets anywhere up to 140 degrees because it burrows 3 to 6 feet underground to escape the heat of summer and the cold of winter. An adult Desert Tortoise can go a full year with ought water and survive. They spend 95% of there time underground in there burrows.
The Desert tortoise has declined by 90% since the 1980's. Ravens, Coyotes, and Humans are the biggest threats to the Desert Tortoise. The Endangered Species act has it ranked as threatened which means the species is likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future.
Its economic importance is that it is traded, sold and bred.
Its ecological importance is that it is a main source of food for Ravens and Coyotes in the desert.