Desert Tortoise Leanna Wardenburg By Leanna Wardenburg
Herbs, grasses, cacti and wildflowers. Diet Diet The diet is herbs grasses cacti and wildflowers. Herbs, grasses, cacti and wildflowers.
Habitat They live in the inhabit semi-arid grasslands, gravelly desert washes, canyon bottoms and rocky hillsides 3,530 ft.
Reproduction The mating season begins spring to fall with a peak of summer/ early fall.
Special facts The desert tortoise is able to live where the ground temperature may exceed 140 degrees F. There populations have declined by 90% since the 1980s. It is unlawful to touch, harm, harass or collect a wild desert tortoise. 95% of desert tortoises life is spent in underground burrows.
Feeding Other herbs, grasses, shrubs and the new growth of cacti and their flowers comprise a major portion of a diet.
Weight and length They weigh 8-15 pounds. The length is 9-15 inches.
coloration Tan to black shell with oranges centers.