Attachment 3- DT Handout.pdf
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- Solicitation number
- FA930225Q0064
About this file
This document is an informational handout about the Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), specifically focused on protection guidelines at Edwards Air Force Base. The handout provides detailed information about the tortoise's characteristics, including its status as a federally threatened species and California's official state reptile. Key details include the tortoise's physical description (1.5 inches at hatching, growing to 1 foot in diameter), habitat (Mojave and Sonoran Deserts), and behavioral traits such as spending over 90% of its life underground and being most active in spring and fall.
The document offers comprehensive guidance for protecting desert tortoises, emphasizing strict protocols for personnel on the base. Recommendations include not handling tortoises unless they are in immediate road danger, checking under vehicles before moving, keeping to approved roads, reporting sightings to 412 CEG/CEVA, and preventing raven attraction by securing trash and avoiding wildlife feeding. The handout also warns that unauthorized collection or harassment can result in significant penalties, including fines up to $50,000 and potential imprisonment, underscoring the species' protected status and the importance of conservation efforts.
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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 .