Desert Tortoise 101 - Everything You Need To Know

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  • čas přidán 20. 06. 2024
  • Desert Tortoises: What are they? How do they survive in Joshua Tree National Park? And why are they listed under the Endangered Species Act?
    In this video, Rangers Michael and Kathleen will cover everything you need to know about the Mojave's most iconic animal 🐢
    0:00 Introduction
    1:00 What are desert tortoises?
    5:07 Threats facing tortoises
    8:00 What is Joshua Tree doing?
    9:13 What can YOU do?
    Music: Our Only Lark, Golden Grass, Footsteps on Alden, and Pintle by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)

Komentáře • 59

  • @TomasRodriguez-yn5xf
    @TomasRodriguez-yn5xf Před rokem +18

    I had the pleasure of seeing two of these in the wild during a backpacking trip a few years ago. Such an awesome experience

    • @chriswheeler6092
      @chriswheeler6092 Před 9 měsíci

      I have never seen a tortoise in the wild. I live in Maryland and we only have the box turtle and water turtles. There are some areas where the woods are full of box turtles.Aligator snapping turtles always used to come into my grandparents yard and they are probably the biggest turtles that I have seen.

    • @01K02K95K
      @01K02K95K Před 4 měsíci

      Time to plan a RAVEN HUNTING TRIP -trim the raven population!😊

  • @ItsMzPhoenix
    @ItsMzPhoenix Před 2 lety +26

    My mom's Apple Valley backyard has been a desert tortoise stomping ground since before I was born, after she took in an adult female that had been surrendered to the BLM (she's a former NPS employee and current BLM employee). In addition, my father used to work as a seasonal naturalist at the Desert Tortoise Research Natural Area near California City when I was a kid, and I've visited there a few times since then. I've grown up with these hardy reptiles, and I've even used them as the subject of a few college assignments/projects as I work toward a BA in Environmental Studies. Hope we can help them survive current and future challenges like climate change and subsidized predation!

    • @matthewdavies2057
      @matthewdavies2057 Před rokem

      Then you know it's a big no-no to reintroduce a pet desert tortoise back into the wild. They can carry lung infections into the wild and kill lots of stressed wild tortoises. You can't tell just by looking or weighing one to now if they're a carrier. Your parents are very wrong.

    • @islandvibez
      @islandvibez Před rokem

      I've seen some on the side of the road as roadkill.

  • @wilddesertgarden
    @wilddesertgarden Před rokem +6

    During the summer you are more likely to see tortoises near sunrise and sunset because it is too hot during the day and they are not active at night.

  • @derekharmon-wong739
    @derekharmon-wong739 Před rokem +5

    2:07 the tortoise yawns

  • @thetortoiseguy6449
    @thetortoiseguy6449 Před rokem +2

    Way cool video! Thanks! 👍🐢❤️

  • @danglassett798
    @danglassett798 Před rokem

    Thank you!

  • @Dovietail
    @Dovietail Před 2 lety +14

    My desert tortoise is drawn to anything orange or red or pink. She will eat plastic trash thinking it is a flower if we aren't super careful.

    • @lgstar3363
      @lgstar3363 Před 8 měsíci +1

      It’s a SONORAN DESERT TURTLE

    • @Mymenagerie714
      @Mymenagerie714 Před měsícem

      ​@@lgstar3363
      It's a "Tortoise" not a turtle.
      There is a difference.

  • @alexcoronado599
    @alexcoronado599 Před rokem +5

    We have to stop those Ravens

  • @robg.204
    @robg.204 Před 10 měsíci +2

    So sad. I love those guys.

  • @Laurastars72
    @Laurastars72 Před 10 měsíci +2

    Could we not add watering stations throughout Joshua tree I live in Palm Desert I’ve seen that they do that in the Sahara desert in their national parks for their animals like a watering hole and they fill up the tank when needed. They also put a camera on it so they can see what wildlife uses it.

  • @TheGhostGrenader
    @TheGhostGrenader Před rokem +1

    Hi, is anything in the works as far as how the recent record California rainfall and snow pack is going to affect the tortoises in Joshua Tree?

    • @ItsMzPhoenix
      @ItsMzPhoenix Před rokem

      I would think that more rain = more native plants for them to munch on, but idk beyond that

    • @DD-wx3ho
      @DD-wx3ho Před 9 měsíci +1

      Your question makes more sense than this wackadoodle climate change/rising heat and drought garbage.

    • @chaselee3556
      @chaselee3556 Před 5 měsíci

      @@DD-wx3hoyou’re joking, right?

    • @DD-wx3ho
      @DD-wx3ho Před 5 měsíci

      @@chaselee3556 Not at all.

  • @heidigib01
    @heidigib01 Před 10 měsíci +1

    What are the differences between Mohave and Sonoran desert tortoises?

  • @pennywittenberg4851
    @pennywittenberg4851 Před rokem +1

    I live in Little Rock Arkansas and recently came across a desert tortoise who became a family member...I'm not sure how he got here...Maybe the tornado we had here on 3/31 brought him here from somewhere else but he is an amazing creature

  • @mickellsanchez7781
    @mickellsanchez7781 Před rokem +3

    i have a tortoise her name is shelly

  • @boofeg
    @boofeg Před rokem

    this is a good vid and

  • @Sea1fly
    @Sea1fly Před rokem

    I found a shell of one in ironwood national forest

  • @Yazan845
    @Yazan845 Před 5 měsíci +1

    I would do Oh that's a tough Desert tortoise I live in what the desert

  • @Dovietail
    @Dovietail Před 2 lety +3

    The ongoing drought is a biggie. Grasses are the vast majority of their diet. 24 straight years of ongoing drought that wipes out the majority of their grazing grasses? Vicious!

  • @habanacerroarti
    @habanacerroarti Před rokem +4

    There will be thousands of them if people could breed them .just like sulcata or any other tortoise that we are allowed to breed

    • @meep2253
      @meep2253 Před 8 měsíci +2

      They can bring disease to wild tortoises that’s the issue with captive breeding. At least that is what I have read.

  • @jamesdixon2857
    @jamesdixon2857 Před rokem +3

    It sounds like we need to get a mating program to help get their numbers up so they don't go extincted or build a man made haditat , these are just ideas

  • @seanhunt138
    @seanhunt138 Před rokem

    I love tortoises, but i have only seen 1 in the wild. I read that 30 years ago eagles started picking up desert tortoises and dropping them from hight to smash them so they can eat them. Is this true?

  • @marioorozco4921
    @marioorozco4921 Před rokem +3

    Why not have them breed like crazy in captivity with these officials and release them into the wild? Also Increase the population with certified breeders. Maybe the pet trade might help with increasing their population? Or is there a high risk with the respiratory infection? Sucks wish they were thriving. Just seeing so many sulcatas and other foreign tortoises thriving in captivity makes you wonder about these rules.

  • @islandvibez
    @islandvibez Před rokem +3

    lmao why is that lady all nonchalant explaining the tortoise's demise?

    • @RONPEE-STINGER
      @RONPEE-STINGER Před rokem +1

      Cus she's the evil master mind behind all this

  • @codydudik280
    @codydudik280 Před rokem +2

    Why is it illegal to breed these in captivity?

    • @matthewdavies2057
      @matthewdavies2057 Před rokem

      With only a few exceptions native animals are illegal to own, breed or sell. Establish a market and soon no wild animal will be safe. That's why.

    • @jamesdixon2857
      @jamesdixon2857 Před rokem +3

      Good question 🤔. Breeding them gives them the best chance to survive into the fucher.

  • @tonicontreras1342
    @tonicontreras1342 Před rokem +1

    Ok

  • @Yazan845
    @Yazan845 Před 5 měsíci

    That's a torture

    • @Yazan845
      @Yazan845 Před 5 měsíci

      Desert tortoise live in desert 🏜 any place where you can find

  • @Mr_bacon433
    @Mr_bacon433 Před rokem

    What else lives there? 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤨🤨🤨

  • @reyosegueda6395
    @reyosegueda6395 Před měsícem

    Bull. Temperatures have only risen in desert areas since the 1940s by 1 percent.

  • @PatriotMango
    @PatriotMango Před rokem +5

    enough with the climate change BS. who's writing your checks?

  • @furstenfeldbruck
    @furstenfeldbruck Před rokem +2

    If I see a baby I'm taking it

    • @matthewdavies2057
      @matthewdavies2057 Před rokem +4

      Because your feelings are more important? A fine owner you will make. Not.

    • @ItsMzPhoenix
      @ItsMzPhoenix Před rokem +1

      Please don't

    • @Mark-ro3gx
      @Mark-ro3gx Před 9 měsíci

      They live to be 100+... you can have it that long?