Helping hands help tortoises

Desert tortoise hatching season is almost here and soon hundreds of baby tortoises may be making their way down the sidewalks and through the yards of Las Vegas.

But Nevadans who keep the animals as pets are breaking the law.

The desert tortoise, whose roots date back 1 million years, is classified as a threatened species and protected under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Wildlife biologist Betty Burge said tortoises found in the wild should be left alone and tortoises found in developed areas should be reported to county officials.

People who pick up a tortoise in the wild without a federal permit face the possibility of a $25,000 fine and up to six months in jail.

Last year the Bureau of Land Management's Desert Tortoise Conservation Center on Rainbow Boulevard received almost 1,200 tortoises, Chuck La Bar, project manager for the holding facility, said. Most were believed to be escaped pets.

"They keep turning up, several hundred a year," said Burge, who is also chairman of the Tortoise Group, a nonprofit organization for the protection of Nevada's resident tortoises. "And it's dangerous for them. They're killed on the road, dogs chew on them and kids play catch with them."

But those who would like a tortoise for a pet can acquire one legally through local adoption programs.

"They make really great pets," La Bar said. "They're easy to take care of, they're intelligent, quiet, some learn how to use a doggie door and know to scratch on the screen to get in and out of the house. Some people have told me their tortoise will scratch on the fridge when hungry."

Hundreds of tortoises needing back yards are being held in pens at the BLM facility. The conservation center supplies about 50 tortoises a year to Burge for her adoption program and 150 to 200 tortoises to the Reno Tur-Toise Club, which also handles adoptions.

Desert tortoises are vegetarians and will eat ornamental plants, dandelions or grass, Burge said.

An adult tortoise will grow to 14 or 16 inches long and weigh between 5 and 8 pounds.

Burge said there is one thing new tortoise owners need to know: "They reproduce like rabbits in captivity. If you have a tortoise that's breeding, it can put out 16 babies a year. So people give them away like cookies to people who aren't ready."

For example, adopters must have an escape-proof back yard with an underground burrow for the animal, Burge said. The sunshine required for the reptile to develop normally means it can't be kept indoors.

"Their home range is usually 80 to 100 acres," La Bar said. "They will explore every corner of a yard. If there's an area where they can get out, they will.

"They like to bask in the sun. They like to feed, drink and play in the sprinkler," he said, adding that they are land animals and can't swim. If tossed into a pool, "they'll sink like a rock and drown."

The tortoise is an indicator species for the Mojave Desert, La Bar said. "If they are in decline, then the Mojave ecosystem is changing."

The combination factors leading to the decline of the tortoise are:

* Loss of habitat because of development.

* Increased predation because of the heavier concentration of ravens and coyotes in area dumps. "Ravens and coyotes are opportunists who thrive in areas around dumps," La Bar said.

* Upper respiratory tract disease. "Many people release their sick tortoises into the wild and it's (upper respiratory tract) a very contagious disease," La Bar said.

The Desert Conservation Plan, an agreement among Clark County, the city of Las Vegas and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, charges a $550-per- acre mitigation fee that allows private land to be developed in the county in exchange for conservation measures for species in the wild.

Unadopted tortoises are released into a 36-square-mile area near Jean. There is also a 750,000-acre conservation near Searchlight, where tortoise-population trends are studied and development is barred, La Bar said.

Handling tortoises is a delicate matter, La Bar said. If turned upside down or tipped over, they will void their bladder as a defense mechanism. "And in the heat, it can cause dehydration and could kill them if they don't get to water soon," he added. "It's important to keep them horizontally correct and flat."

He said that it's more serious in the wild where water is scarce.

"They're pretty bright animals," La Bar said. "A lot of people get really attached to their tortoise. Some tortoises like to have their head scratched and chin rubbed. If they hear you coming, they get excited and run right toward you."

Valley residents interested in adopting a desert tortoise can call 383-TORT. No adoptions can be done out of state.

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