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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