Let’s talk tortoises
The desert tortoise is a symbol of the California desert and the state’s reptile. Populations were plentiful a few decades ago but tortoise numbers have declined by roughly 50% over the last 30 years, placing the tortoise on the Federal List of Threatened Species. Desert tortoise populations are threatened by raven predation, urbanization, illegal collection for the pet trade, off-highway vehicles, and upper-respiratory tract infections.
The Living Desert is committed to raising awareness about the threats faced by the desert tortoise and bringing our community members together over simple actions we can each take to help protect this iconic species.
Here we offer information about our Time to Talk Trash campaign, our tortoise rehabilitation program, and various educator resources.
