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Home > Programs and Policy > Wildlife Conservation > Imperiled Species > Desert Tortoise

Take Action for Desert Tortoises

Things you can do to help the desert tortoise:

  • If you encounter a tortoise in the wild, leave them alone;
  • Stay at least 10 feet from any tortoise you spot, and keep dogs leashed at all times;
  • Stay on Designated Roads and Trails;
  • Don’t drive, bike or walk off trails or roads except is designated “Open Areas. Watch for Tortoises on Roads and Trails;
  • Desert tortoises readily cross roads and trails, but the slow moving species is no match for bikes, cars, trucks and off-highway vehicles;
  • Don’t Release Pet Tortoises in the Desert: a pet tortoise released in the wild probably won’t survive and may infect resident tortoises with disease;
  • Keep the Desert Clean: Desert tortoises can get tangled in trash, and garbage attracts ravens and other predators that feed on desert tortoises, their eggs and hatchlings.
  • Ravens are now a major predator of young desert tortoises. If you live in the desert, read our brochure to find out what you can do to help.