The desert tortoise had previously been classified as "threatened" by the California Endangered Species Act in 1989, as well as by the federal Endangered Species Act of 1990.

Reliable, the desert tortoise I’ve followed at Joshua Tree, likely has been going to the same flat rock during monsoonal rains for the 40-plus years he’s been alive. Tortoises also remember where ...

Dotty the desert tortoise enjoys a snack of yellow trumpet flowers in Scottsdale, Ariz., on May 4, 2023. The surprising warmth of these ancient cold-blooded creatures has made them popular pets ...

There are two desert tortoise species in the Southwest: the Sonoran, which is most common east and south of the Colorado River, and the Mojave, found west and north of the river.

The desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) is inching closer to extinction, while conservation efforts are falling dramatically short, according to experts. Based on current projections, ...

Adopting a Sonoran Desert tortoise. Since 1981, the Arizona Game and Fish Department has facilitated a program to allow Arizona residents to adopt the tortoises, which are a protected species and ...

Another effort to help save the Mohave desert tortoise is being proposed, this time with the proposed removal of several hundred burros from within the Tass-Gold Butte Herd Management Area 60 ...

Dotty the desert tortoise enjoys a snack of yellow trumpet flowers in Scottsdale, Ariz., on May 4, 2023. The surprising warmth of these ancient cold-blooded creatures has made them popular pets ...

Dotty the desert tortoise enjoys a snack of yellow trumpet flowers in Scottsdale, Ariz., on May 4, 2023. The surprising warmth of these ancient cold-blooded creatures has made them popular pets ...

Dotty the desert tortoise enjoys a snack of yellow trumpet flowers in Scottsdale, Ariz. The surprising warmth of these ancient cold-blooded creatures has made them popular pets for families with ...

They’re not fluffy, they don’t play fetch and they certainly don’t roll over. But there is such a thing as a lap tortoise. What’s more, pet tortoises can wag their tails, will plod on up ...

Dotty the desert tortoise enjoys a snack of yellow trumpet flowers in Scottsdale, Ariz., on May 4, 2023. The surprising warmth of these ancient cold-blooded creatures has made them popular pets ...