Attachment 3- DT Handout.pdf
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- Solicitation number
- PZZG0709
About this file
This document is a detailed informational handout about the Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) at Edwards Air Force Base, focusing on the species' protection and conservation guidelines. The handout provides comprehensive information about the Desert Tortoise, including its physical characteristics, habitat, federal protection status, and specific protocols for personnel working in areas where the tortoise might be present. Key details include the tortoise being federally protected as a threatened species, measuring 1.5 inches in diameter when hatching and growing up to 1 foot in diameter as an adult, and spending over 90% of its life underground in burrows.
The document outlines specific protective measures for personnel, such as checking under vehicles before moving them, keeping vehicles on approved roads, avoiding tortoise handling except in immediate road danger, and preventing raven attraction by securing trash and eliminating water leaks. If a tortoise is found in danger, personnel are instructed to carefully move it at least 100 feet away in the same direction it was traveling, and to contact 412 CEG/CEVA at specific phone numbers. The handout emphasizes the legal consequences of unauthorized tortoise handling, which can result in fines up to $50,000 and/or one year of imprisonment, and provides visual guidance on proper tortoise relocation techniques.
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© Kevin Powell All Rights Reserved
DT Handout 412 TW/PA Release #18150 20180316
Adult
Burrow
Juvenile
Federally protected as Threatened by the Endangered Species Act.
Official state reptile of California! Soft scaly body with a hard shell. Could be green, grey, tan, or brown. Only 1.5 inches in diameter after hatching, but up to 1 foot in diameter as adult.
Desert Tortoise protection at Edwards AFB is mandated by the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Opinion: “Operations and Activities at Edwards Air Force Base, California” (8-8-14-F-14).
Unauthorized collection, handling or harassment can be prosecuted: Fines up to $50,000 and/or 1 year imprisonment.
Often looks like a moving rock and hard to spot!
Spends over 90% of its life underground in burrows.
Most active in Spring and Fall but possible to see all year-round especially after a rain.
Attracted to water. Often seen where puddling occurs during or after a rain (like road shoulders).
Found throughout the Mojave and parts of the Sonoran Desert.
If tortoise found in immediate danger
(on the road), and it is safe to do so, please move it:
Approach slowly from the front
Carefully lift tortoise by the sides with 2 hands and keep level
Move tortoise at least 100 feet away, in the shade, in the same direction it was going.
Call
412 CEG/CEVA
661-277-1417 661-277-1401
How you can protect the Desert Tortoise Do not handle a tortoise unless it is on the road and in immediate danger.
If a tortoise is on the road in immediate danger, you may move the tortoise off the road.
Check under parked vehicles and equipment before moving or operating.
Keep vehicles and equipment on existing or approved roads and staging areas.
If tortoise is sighted in project area, call 412 CEG/CEVA. Observe from a distance.
Do not attract ravens. Ravens are a major predator of the Desert Tortoise. Keep trash in raven-proof containers. Make sure lids are tightly closed. Do not feed the wildlife!
Ensure water tanks and trucks are free of water leaks that might attract predators.
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .