Gopherus agassizii (Desert Tortoise)
Saguaro NP West
I saw this tortoise crossing a desert road on the western flank of the Silver Bell Mountains in typical slow, tortoise fashion one April afternoon. It was a chance encounter - I was only going down the road because a desert wash was flooded and I had to take a detour. It was the only tortoise I saw on my visit.
It was a delightful animal, very gentle and calm. I took pity on it and lifted to the other side in case another vehicle came down the road less sympathetically. It was surprisingly heavy!
The Desert Tortoise is a declining species and rightly protected. Habitat loss is a major problem. It is found across southwestern Arizona up to the north-west corner of the state, but is very rare there.
It was a delightful animal, very gentle and calm. I took pity on it and lifted to the other side in case another vehicle came down the road less sympathetically. It was surprisingly heavy!
The Desert Tortoise is a declining species and rightly protected. Habitat loss is a major problem. It is found across southwestern Arizona up to the north-west corner of the state, but is very rare there.