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Desert
Denizens
If
you've always had a soft spot for tortoises, the Desert Tortoise Preserve
near California City in the Mojave Desert is just the place you'll want
to visit. Founded in 1974 by private citizens whose goal was to save the
habitat of California desert tortoises, the Preserve Committee continues
to seek ways to protect this fragile population.
Spring is
the the best time of year to see desert tortoises out and about. Tortoises
hibernate in deep burrows during the cold months and estivate in shallower
ones during the summer. By conserving water and energy, these remarkable
creatures are able to live in a region most animals would find impossibly
inhospitable.
Visitors
are welcome to tour the Preserve year-round, and a naturalist is on duty
at the mobile Visitors Center every day in March, April and May. "Tortoise
Days," an annual festival honoring the native residents, will be held
this weekend, May 4 & 5, 1996.
Unfortunately,
the California desert tortoise has a formidable enemy, one that has decimated
the population in the Preserve over the last twelve years. An upper respiratory
disease, probably caused by a virus, has reduced the number of native
tortoises from more than 200 per square mile to less than 20. The disease,
found in tortoise populations in other areas, may have been introduced
into California by infected tortoises released into the wild by humans.
The Desert
Tortoise Preserve Committee is working to find ways to protect California
desert tortoises from illness and other threats. For more information,
write to Desert Tortoise Preserve Committee, Inc., P.O. Box 2910, San
Bernardino, CA 92406.
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