Yield to the Sonoran Desert Tortoises

Slow-moving tortoises face a threat when it comes to encounters with vehicles, says the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy.
Published: May. 9, 2024 at 7:45 PM MST|Updated: May. 9, 2024 at 9:31 PM MST
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PHOENIX (AZFamily) —When it comes to one of the state’s most beloved animals, It’s not predators prowling about or a lack of food that’s killing tortoises. It’s people. And most of the time, we don’t even realize when we’ve done harm when tortoises are hit by vehicles.

“Unfortunately, it’s very common with animals that live near urban cores,” said Melanie Tluczek, the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy Director of Science and Education.

With Arizona heating up, Sonoran desert tortoises are on the move just in their usual slow fashion.

“When they come out, they need food and water, and they also start looking around for mates or laying eggs,” said Tluczek.

According to the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy, this can lead tortoises to try and cross rural roads with cars, which doesn’t end well for them. “It’s certainly is a problem.”

Game and Fish has a few things to keep in mind to help protect our slow and state-protected reptilian friends.

  • Stay on established trails and backroads. Venturing off the beaten path can harm desert tortoise habitat or the reptiles themselves.
  • Slow down, scan ahead. Desert tortoises blend into their surroundings remarkably well. They can be especially difficult to spot in rolling terrain and in dusty conditions when visibility is reduced.
  • Check under vehicles. Desert tortoises seeking shade sometimes rest under parked vehicles.

When encountering a desert tortoise:

  • Keep them wild. It’s important for their survival to remain in their natural habitat. If a potentially injured desert tortoise has been observed, or even a healthy one found in a populated area, call AZGFD’s Desert Tortoise Adoption program at 844-896-5730 so the best decision can be made for that animal. It’s illegal and detrimental to desert tortoise populations to collect them from the wild.
  • Observe from a distance. Desert tortoises are best viewed without disturbance. Keep pets and children away to avoid stressing the reptile.
  • Report the observation. AZGFD biologists would like to know where and when a desert tortoise has been encountered in the wild. Email details to turtlesproject@azgfd.gov. A photo can also be sent, as long as the desert tortoise wasn’t touched in the taking of the photo.

While they look cool munching on plants, don’t even think about taking them home from the wild. As a state-protected species, that is illegal. “The survival rate of a tortoise removed from a habitat and then put back to the habitat where they were taken from is quite low.”

The conservancy says they had a couple of cases last year with people taking tortoises from their land.

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