70 tortoises returned to wild by SD Zoo staff emerge from winter burrows

Rhea Caoile
·2 min read
1

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Wildlife experts said 70 critically endangered Mojave desert tortoises are thriving after being reintroduced to their native habitat, according to a release by the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Monday.

The zoo said the tortoises constructed or modified burrows to utilize as shelters during the winter less than a day after being released into the wild. Six months later, they have emerged after brumation, a period of deep sleep for reptiles that is equivalent to what hibernation means for mammals.

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The tortoises were the first to be released into the wild after undergoing a combination of indoor and outdoor-rearing. This cohort of hatchlings were reared indoors at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert and then in a protected outdoor environment at Edwards Air Force Base.

Experts said the endangered species is just one example of how the changing climate affects predation.

A second cohort of young tortoises were attacked by predatory ants and fly larvae at Edwards Air Force Base in September, according to the release. The surviving hatchlings underwent the first six months of care at The Living Desert.

This month, the hatchlings will be transferred to the outdoor habitats at Edwards Air Force Base managed by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance for another six months. They will be released into their native habitat when they turn a year old. (See photos below).

  • 70 critically endangered Mojave desert tortoises have successfully emerged from their winter burrows after being reintroduced into their native habitat. (San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance)
    70 critically endangered Mojave desert tortoises have successfully emerged from their winter burrows after being reintroduced into their native habitat. (San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance)
  • 70 critically endangered Mojave desert tortoises have successfully emerged from their winter burrows after being reintroduced into their native habitat. (San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance)
    70 critically endangered Mojave desert tortoises have successfully emerged from their winter burrows after being reintroduced into their native habitat. (San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance)
  • 70 critically endangered Mojave desert tortoises have successfully emerged from their winter burrows after being reintroduced into their native habitat. (San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance)
    70 critically endangered Mojave desert tortoises have successfully emerged from their winter burrows after being reintroduced into their native habitat. (San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance)

According to James Danoff-Burg, Ph.D., director of conservation at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, the mortality risk of young tortoises tends to be higher in areas where ravens and coyotes are overpopulated.

Experts said reintroducing tortoises into their native habitat when they are not at their most vulnerable gives young tortoises a better chance at survival.

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance worked in partnership with The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens as well as Edwards Air Force Base, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey to get these young tortoises ready for life in their native habitat.

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