Can the Tortoise Win This Race?

The Nevada state reptile faces multiple threats, mostly man-made. Concerned scientists are racing to find a solution

Mojave desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) are the state reptile of both Nevada and California. They have remained essentially unchanged for three to five million years, says wildlife biologist Kristin Berry of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Their turtle ancestors date back to the late Triassic Period, some 220 million years ago, and tortoises diverged from them about 55 million years ago. In their long evolutionary history, turtles and tortoises have survived mass extinctions, the last ice age, and, most recently, desertification of the American Southwest, all by exploiting remarkable adaptations such as recycling precious water stored in their bladder. The late expert Glenn Rogers of the Nuwuvi (Shivwits Band of Southern Paiutes) in southwestern Utah called them “warriors,” because they are such fierce survivors. Read More…