[Source: Sonoran News .com] – Monsoon season brings one of the southwest desert’s most iconic creatures out of their burrows and out-and-about across the state. Desert tortoises are now in their most active season, and Arizona’s increased human population creates more risks for these slow-moving symbols of the Sonoran desert.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department asks the public to follow these important guidelines if they encounter a desert tortoise:
– Do not remove a tortoise from its habitat. Taking a wild tortoise home is illegal in Arizona. Additionally, most tortoises stay in the same small area their entire lives, so if you move a tortoise to a new location it will not know where to find food and shelter and will likely die.
– Do not release a captive tortoise into the wild. Captive desert tortoises cannot be released into the wild as they can pass diseases to wild populations and displace wild tortoises. It is also illegal to release captive animals into the wild.
– Keep dogs away from both captive and wild desert tortoises. Even the most gentle dog can pose a serious threat to a tortoise. [to read the full article click here].