California Desert Tortoise
Here's a shot of a california desert tortoise I took while out cruising the dry lake bed here in Joshua Tree.
He was crossing the road so I stopped, took the pic and then put him on the other side so nobody would hit him. Some fools in the desert like to run over these beautiful (and protected) animals for fun.
If you handle a desert tortoise, be careful not to scare him as they will void their water (take a "pee" in layman's language;) and they need all their internal water to survive the incredible heat of the desert floor.
Their burrows are easy to distinquish by the crescent shaped entrance to the hole, and females will lay their eggs in the soft dirt in front of their homes, so watch your step!
Just another cool animal to be seen in the desert!
DB
Posted: Monday 20th June 2005, 4:04 PM
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