PHOENIX - For the person who seems to have absolutely everything, consider giving a holiday gift this year of helping one of Arizona's most remarkable animals, the desert tortoise.
Desert tortoises are recognized as a threatened species in parts of California, Nevada, Utah, and northwestern Arizona. They're also found in southern Arizona in the Sonoran Desert. These tortoises can live longer than many people, up to 100 years!
"You can sponsor a tortoise in the name of a friend or a loved one to help pay for research about these creatures that are part of our desert history," says Clayton Lutz, a biologist with the Arizona Game and Fish Department. "We want to learn more about the tortoises and more about how to make sure the species survives for generations to come."
People who donate to the department's Sponsor-a-Tortoise program will receive a color photo of "their" tortoise. If they donate $50 or more, they will receive a project summary at the end of the year. Contributors of more than $100 will receive a specific profile of their sponsored tortoise for that year.
"This money helps us pay for some of the involved research we do," says Lutz.
Researchers with the department use radio telemetry to study tortoises. They attach small radio transmitters to individual tortoises. Then, they use a receiver to locate the tortoises repeatedly over time. This helps biologists learn about tortoise activity patterns, rates of movement, home range size, and more. The process doesn't hurt the tortoises, and it makes it easier for scientists to learn about the animals, which spend a lot of time in underground burrows.
Researchers also focus on tortoise reproduction, in an effort to help with survival. They can use the transmitters to locate female tortoises and then take the animals to a base camp, where they're X-rayed. Eggs show up on the X-rays, telling scientists how many tortoises lay eggs each year and how many eggs they lay.
For more information on how to sponsor a tortoise, call Clayton Lutz at (623) 236-7504 or go to the "Sponsor a Tortoise" page of our Web site. A sponsorship form can be found at the bottom of the page.
Also, another holiday gift idea that will benefit wildlife this season is the Arizona Game and Fish Department's 2005 Wildlife Calendar. A portion of the proceeds go to the department's Wildlife Center for sick, injured, and orphaned native animals. The $10 calendar can be purchased through the department's Web site: azgfd.gov.
Additional note: If you're interested in actually "adopting" a tortoise, the Arizona Game and Fish Department can help you with that, too. You can go through an application process and build an appropriate home in your yard. For more information, call Sandy Cate at the department's Wildlife Center at (623) 582-9806 or view the tortoise adoption packet online [PDF, 1.1mb].
