Protecting desert tortoises

Saturday, Aug. 9, 2008 | 2:05 a.m.

One of the enduring symbols of the Southwest is the docile desert tortoise. Here in Nevada it enjoys special protection as a threatened species under federal law. But some of its cousins in Arizona are going through rough times.

The Arizona Daily Star reported this week that tortoises kept as house pets in the Phoenix area have become the latest victims of the home foreclosure crisis. It turns out that many of the reptiles have been dumped in Maricopa County parks after their owners lost their homes. Arizona Game and Fish authorities fear the same thing is occurring in the Tucson area.

Although domesticated tortoises have been known to survive in the wild, they will not do as well if they are released in an area that does not have enough food or water. If not examined by the proper authorities, they could also spread fatal diseases to wild reptiles, such as upper respiratory tract ailments that have killed thousands of tortoises in the Southwest. Tortoises can contract the respiratory disease because of stress, improper diet or excess humidity.

Betty Burge, chairwoman of the nonprofit Tortoise Group, which provides adoption services in Las Vegas, has not heard similar reports of tortoise dumping in the valley but said that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. When there have been reports of diseased wild tortoises in Southern Nevada they are usually found near developed areas, she said.

Anyone thinking of adopting a desert tortoise should be prepared for a long-term commitment because those reptiles live long lives.

We encourage valley residents who can no longer keep their tortoises to call the Clark County Desert Tortoise Pickup Service at 593-9027. The tortoises are taken to a Clark County Desert Conservation Program holding facility, where they are cared for until they are adopted or released into the wild following a check for diseases.

Simply abandoning them in a park or out in the desert is not a responsible way to treat a critter that deserves our utmost respect.