# Wild desert tortoises



## chelonologist (Jul 11, 2008)

Here are a few shots of wild desert tortoises from the Fort Irwin headstarting study. I'll be heading out there tomorrow (Saturday) to track them. Should be a nice hot day...


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## purpod (Jul 12, 2008)

Thanx for the images; they sure are some good ones ~ Here's hoping you track nothing but good news {& not too much of a sun burn!!}

Take care of those babies, eh, "Doc"?
Looking forward to an update upon your return ~
Purpod


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## egyptiandan (Jul 12, 2008)

Great pictures Michael  Nice to see them in the wild.  Hope tracking goes well and everyone you find is alive and well. 

Danny


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## Crazy1 (Jul 12, 2008)

Ditto to what Danny and purpod said.


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## Jacqui (Jul 12, 2008)

Nice seeing pictures of them in the wild. Hope today went well.


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## chelonologist (Jul 13, 2008)

Hey all,

Yesterday was awesome - there were scattered thunderstorms in the desert and many of the tortoises were out looking for a drink. Here are a few pics:

This is tortoise #23 - he was walking towards a small wash as a thundershower approached. The tortoises will position themselves in places where water collects during a storm, such as a depression in the soil, a small rivulet draining a hillside, or a flat rock. They'll even dig their own depressions and wait for them to fill!






On the way to track more tortoises I walked by the FISS pens and saw these two juveniles positioned on a concrete postholder, waiting for water to accumulate there.





This is tortoise #74, waiting for the rain beneath a desert boxthorn shrub.





Tortoise #1-1 was also waiting under a shrub.





And so was tortoise #241.





Tortoise #124 had a different strategy - waiting for rain on the top of a ridge.





Tortoise #300 was walking to his position when I tracked him.





A few tortoises were in their burrows, including this new one excavated by tortoise #128.


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## Yvonne G (Jul 13, 2008)

Awesome!! Thanks for sharing.

Yvonne


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## purpod (Jul 13, 2008)

Hiya Doc ~ Those are some xllnt pics ~ you must've had a great time, from the looks of things. Thanx for sharing them with us.

I was curious about those tracking devices... the antennae look rather stiff, and I was wondering if you found any situations where it appeared to be a hazard, getting stuck on the terrain? 

Also, what was the overall 'feel' of the trip? Or is it too soon to have anything as far as how the new arrivals are fairing?

I really appreciate you keeping us abreast of the relocation is progressing.
Thanx again,
Purpod


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## Crazy1 (Jul 13, 2008)

Michael, as you know I have been somewhat outspoken about the move of these DTs. It is so nice to see and hear about the ones that are doing well for a change. Thank you for that and the wonderful pics.


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## TortGirl (Jul 13, 2008)

I really enjoyed the pics of the DTs that you took. I live in the High Desert, where like you said, the thunderstorms yesterday were scattered. Once the rain started it went for quite a few hours. I am sure that the DTs were able to get good drinks of fresh rain water.


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## chelonologist (Jul 13, 2008)

purpod said:


> I really appreciate you keeping us abreast of the relocation is progressing.
> Thanx again,
> Purpod



Hi all, just to clarify...

These pictures are from the headstart study, which is completely separate from the tortoise relocation at Fort Irwin. In this study, we're looking at whether headstarting juvenile desert tortoises is a viable conservation tool that can be used to help the species recover. We're working with juvenile tortoises that were hatched and raised in predator-proof pens on Fort Irwin between 1991 and 2003, so we've got tortoises of different ages and sizes. We released them during the fall of 2005 and spring of 2006, and we've been tracking their progress since. We're getting some really good data on survivorship patterns, which will allow us to make recommendations regarding the size (or age) that juvenile tortoises should be raised within pens before being released. The idea of headstarting desert tortoises is catching on rather quickly, with many government agencies starting to look at using it as a way to replenish wild tortoise populations. The results of this study at Fort Irwin will likely shape the way that headstarting is conducted in these future efforts.

Stay tuned for more...


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## oswego tort lover (Jul 14, 2008)

great work.real science.


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## Crazy1 (Jul 14, 2008)

Michael, thank you for that clarification. What a wonderful project. Researching to help replenish wild tortoise populations. Yeah for you and your work with this project.


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## chelonologist (Jul 15, 2008)

Leslie said:


> Great pictures. I have a few questions. How big is the test area and how many tortoises are you tracking in the area? Are they mixed with other wild tortoises or is it exclusively the juveniles that you released there? Regarding the hatching of eggs, were they collected and moved to the predator proof pen for hatching or were they laid there? Thanks for the inside info. it is so interesting and such an important study.



Great questions, Leslie.

We've released the headstarted juveniles into three areas at varying distances from the predator-proof pens. We were testing for any effects of 'homing' by tortoises that might try to get back into the area of the pens. That turned out not to be a problem at all, as most settled in very quickly at the release sites. The release sites are located within the Biological Conservation Area on Fort Irwin, where there is a resident tortoise population (mostly adults, though I've seen three wild juveniles). 

The juveniles raised within the pens came from wild females in the vicinity of the pens. The females were captured, radiographed to confirm they were gravid, released into the pens where they constructed nests and laid their eggs, and then released at their original point of capture following egg deposition. The eggs were allowed to develop and hatch within the nests created by the females. Since the environment in the pens is essentially the same as the surrounding desert, this process turned out very naturalized juvenile tortoises with wild, natural behaviors.


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## Jacqui (Jul 15, 2008)

So much more interesting with the more personal sharing of information and great shots. Really makes the entire thing seem more "real" if you can understand what words are failing me to convey.


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## purpod (Jul 17, 2008)

Thanx for the clarification, Doc; and hey, we're all loving this, so keep is posted on this too!

 Xllnt xllnt work, Bud!
Purpod


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## drgnfly2265 (Jul 18, 2008)

Man I want your job!!! It has to be so much fun!!! Every now and then I might get a supprise visit from the gopher tortoises that we have around here, and when that happens I get so excited. I wish I could see where they wander off to ,other than trying to get into my dogs pen (p.s. he will try to eat them, bad dog  )

Thank you for the great pictures and wonderful info!!! Please keep it coming!!! 

____________________________________________________

1 Sulcata (Bowser)

www.myspace.com/bowsertortoise


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## sushisurf13 (Jul 23, 2008)

I love it!


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