Desert Tortoise

Desert Tortoise | Beth Jackson, Fish and Wildlife Service

Scientific Name: Gopherus agassizii

Habitat:

These reptiles live in the Mojave Desert in the western United States. They spend most of their lives underground, and they require soil suitable for digging burrows to survive. Once widespread in California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah, the desert tortoise is declining dramatically because of human encroachment, competition with grazing livestock, development and invasive species.

Refuges where the desert tortoise can be found:

• Cibola National Wildlife Refuge
• Desert National Wildlife Range
• Havasu National Wildlife Refuge
• Imperial National Wildlife Refuge

Status:

Though they’ve survived in the desert for millions of years, the desert tortoise has been listed as threatened since 1930. Many factors have contributed to this reptile’s decline. Development, off-road vehicle use and pollution are some of the main culprits. Another threat is the rise of raven populations in the Mojave Desert. Ravens prey on juvenile tortoises, which have thin shells. These birds were once rare in the desert, but their numbers have increased seven-fold in recent decades with the human introduction of trash and water sources into this ecosystem. The destruction and degradation of habitat from renewable energy development in the desert poses a new threat to the tortoise.

Desert Tortoise | Fish and Wildlife Service

Description:

The desert tortoise is a large herbivore and the official reptile of both California and Nevada. It has a domed shell that is brown and yellow. Its front limbs are flattened and heavily scaled for digging. To survive the extreme temperatures and aridity of the Mojave, the tortoise spends most of its time in burrows. A single tortoise may have a dozen or more burrows distributed over its home range.

What NWRA is doing:

Help us protect the Mojave Desert, where the desert tortoise and many other species live. NWRA is working to safeguard the Mojave Desert through our Beyond the Boundaries program. The Mojave may appear to be harsh and barren, but it actually has a diversity of habitats that support a wide variety of animals and plants. NWRA is working with many partners in the public and private sectors to conserve this important landscape and the wildlife that depend on it. Learn more.