BARSTOW, Calif. - What desert creature spends 95 percent of its time out of sight, can live a half-century or longer, and although harmless, can be a problem for Marines and soldiers during training when it finally makes an appearance?
Anybody who works on a military installation in the desert should know that answer: The desert tortoise, Gopherus agassazii.
The tortoise doesn't intend to cause a problem for humans. After all, it just goes about its business eating juicy plants, finding a mate, and digging burrows. But thanks to humans living in its habitat, the official California state reptile has a hard time surviving. So it has been listed as "threatened" on the federal and state of California endangered species lists - one step from the highest protection category of "endangered." And that's why it's a problem.
About 540 acres of the rifle range at Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Calif., have been designated as critical habitat for the desert tortoise by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Marine Corps Order P5090.2A chapter 2, gives guidance to the Marine Corps on implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires federal agencies to consider the environmental impacts of their proposed actions and reasonable alternatives to those actions.
Stephanie White, natural and cultural resources specialist for MCLB Barstow, advised, "Only authorized biologists are permitted to handle desert tortoises. Anyone found to be causing harm is subject to fines and jail time." Part of the environmental awareness training base personnel receive is a 15-minute video, which is available on the MCLB Barstow YouTube channel.
Right now is a good time to see tortoises,as they are most active in spring and fall. During hot weather they will rest in shade or in their burrows. If you encounter a tortoise, the best action is to stop and back away, advised White. She added that they are also very curious. "It's okay if they come to you," added White. "Treat tortoises with respect. Don't startle them, and don't have them perceive you as a threat."
Sometimes people think a tortoise is in trouble when it is just going about its business, explained White. "Tortoises are on a mission. They know where their burrows are, where the food is, and where the water holes are. People think it looks like a slow-moving rock, but tortoises are very well adapted to their habitat, and they know their surroundings better than we do."
Their bladders act as canteens, holding up to 40 percent of the water they need to survive the rainless months, but when frightened they may urinate. Losing any amount of water can affect their survival, so they should only be picked up if they are in danger of being hit by vehicles.
Unfortunately, a natural predator - the raven - eats about half the baby tortoises that hatch each year. This native bird's population has increased greatly in the last several decades.
Keeping down the raven population is another responsibility of employees and residents on base, and the best way to do that is to clean up trash and put it in receptacles that ravens can't get into.
A good place to see the desert tortoise is the Rainbow Basin Natural Area, 13 miles north of downtown Barstow on Irwin Road.
As the Bureau of Land Management website states, "If you find a tortoise in the desert, DO take pictures, get down and look at it (but not so close that you disturb it). Watch to see how it moves and what it eats, then walk away and know that you have done a good deed by letting it live in peace.
| Date Taken: | 04.22.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 04.22.2015 17:52 |
| Story ID: | 160889 |
| Location: | BARSTOW, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 93 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Desert tortoise: Seldom seen, handle with care, by Cynthia McIntyre, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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