# massivetortoise.org



## spikethebest (Nov 23, 2009)

Welcome to The Massive Project !
This Project is with the Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii). You can read the original Massive Project Proposal at: 

Massive Project 

Here are 2 abstracts from the TSA meetings: 

Playing the Numbers Game: Massive Head-starting and Reintroduction of Mojave Desert Tortoises Utilizing the Reproductive Potential of Backyard Pets Abstract 1 

Evolutionary and Genetic Trade-offs in Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizi) Headstarting and Restoration Abstract 2 

Ross Kiester: rkiester [at] gmail.com 
Jim Juvik: jjuvik [at] hawaii.edu 
Ken Nagy: kennagy [at] biology.ucla.edu


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## Shelly (Nov 23, 2009)

Your program sounds like the one I asked about in my "3 questions about Desert Tortoises" thread.


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## Madortoise (Nov 24, 2009)

I only read the first page but am wondering....aren't diseases that captive bred tortoises carry transmitted through bloodstreams into their eggs/fetuses?


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## spikethebest (Nov 25, 2009)

there have been quite a few experiments where data shows that there is no vertical transmission of any of the diseases the mother may carry.


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