Desert Tortise

Rodrigo RScience Report

Mr. CastrellonMay 2014

INTRODUCTION

This slide show is about the desert tortoise. You will learn many things about this animal like its diet, habitat, range, family life, life cycle and anatomy.

DIET

The desert tortoise is an herbivore. Grasses form the bulk of its diet but it also eats herbs, annual wild flowers and new growth of cactus as well as their fruit and flowers. In early spring, a tortoise emerges to feed on the fresh plants blooming in its home range.

Habitat and Range

Desert tortoise can live in areas with ground temperatures exceeding 140˚F (60˚C) because of their ability to dig underground burrows and escape from becoming a predator’s meals. The desert tortoise habitat is the American Southwest. In California, the desert tortoise lives in the Mojave Desert.

MAP OF RANGE

The average home range of a tortoise measures from 27 to 131 acres (10 to 53 hectare). Mojave Desert tortoises range from 47 to 51% of the desert.

LIFE CYCLEDesert tortoise

hatchling

Desert tortoise

baby

Desert tortoise juvenile

Desert tortoise

adult

ANATOMY

It has stumpy, club like legs and feet. When threatened this tortoise seeks safety inside its high, domed shell.

Average body size and Wight

These tortoises may attain a length of 10 to 14 inches (25 to 36 cm), with males begin slightly larger than females.

Interesting factsThe animals who want to harm the desert

tortoise are raven, Gila monsters, kit foxes, baggers, road runners and fire ants are all natural predators of the desert tortoise. Desert tortoises that make it to adult hood can live eighty to one hundred years. Desert tortoises and other reptiles are cold blooded. Many countries forbid to capture or kill of tortoises.