Mojave desert tortoise
A slow, dome-shelled land turtle that digs long burrows to escape the desert heat, living in the Mojave country of Joshua Tree, Saguaro, and Death Valley.
Mojave desert tortoise at a glance
Gopherus agassizii DEZ-ert TOR-tus; Gopherus agassizii is GOH-fur-us ag-uh-SEE-zee-eye
- Type
- Reptile · tortoise
- Diet
- Herbivore
- Size
- Its shell is about 9 to 15 inches long, roughly the size of a dinner plate or a bike helmet. A big one weighs around 8 to 15 pounds, about as much as a large housecat.
- Lifespan
- A long life for a reptile, often 50 years or more, and some reach 80.
- Conservation
- Threatened (U.S. Endangered Species Act); Vulnerable (IUCN)
Eats grasses, wildflowers, new leaves, cactus
It grazes on desert plants, mostly in spring when rain brings up green grass and flowers. It gets much of its water from the plants it eats, then stores that water in its body for the long dry months.
Should you worry?
This tortoise will not hurt you, but you can badly hurt it, so the rule is look, do not touch. It is protected by law. When a frightened tortoise is picked up, it often empties its bladder, losing the water it saved to survive the dry season, and that can kill it. Never pick one up, never take one home, and if one is crossing a road, let an adult decide what to do.
Most of a desert tortoise’s life happens where no one can see it, underground. It digs burrows several feet long and waits out the summer heat and the winter cold below the surface, and the same burrow may be used by many tortoises over the years. When it does come up, mostly in spring, it grazes on the green grass, wildflowers, and new leaves that a rain has pulled out of the sand. Its shell runs about nine to fifteen inches, roughly a dinner plate, and a big one weighs about as much as a large housecat.
The desert gives very little water, so the tortoise carries its own. It pulls water from the spring plants it eats and stores it in its bladder, then lives off that store through months with no rain. This is the reason for the one firm rule about desert tortoises: when a frightened tortoise is picked up, it often empties its bladder all at once, losing the water it was saving to survive the dry season, and that loss can kill it.
So look, and do not touch. The tortoise is protected by law, and it cannot hurt a person, but a person can easily hurt it. Never pick one up and never carry one home. If a tortoise is crossing a road, the move belongs to an adult, and even then it is only carried a short way in the direction it was already headed. A tortoise you meet may be fifty years old, or eighty, older than the grandparents of anyone watching it.
Did you know?
- A desert tortoise can spend most of its life underground. It digs burrows up to several feet long to hide from summer heat and winter cold, and many tortoises may use the same burrow over the years.
- It carries its own canteen. A desert tortoise can store water in its bladder and live off it through months with no rain, which is exactly why scaring one into emptying its bladder is so dangerous.
- Baby tortoises hatch with soft shells about the size of a silver dollar, and the shell does not harden fully for years, so young tortoises are easy prey for ravens and other animals.
Common questions
Can I pick up a desert tortoise?
No. It is against the law, and a scared tortoise may empty its bladder and lose the water it needs to survive the dry season. Look, take a picture from a few steps back, and leave it alone.
What should I do if a tortoise is crossing the road?
Slow down and let an adult handle it. Wildlife rules say a tortoise should only be moved a short way in the same direction it was already heading, and only when it is truly in danger.
How long do desert tortoises live?
A long time. Many live 50 years or more, and some reach around 80, so a tortoise you meet could be older than your grandparents.
Where does a desert tortoise get water?
Mostly from the plants it eats in spring. It stores that water in its body and lives off it through the long, dry summer.