04/08/2023
Yes please drive slowly on our desert roads… thanks
🚨 Alert: Tortoises on the Roadways! 🚨
Drive cautiously in the park and watch out for tortoises and wildlife. Springtime brings tortoises out of their burrows in search of food and a mate. Desert tortoises have existed for an estimated 15-20 million years. For most of that time, they were not dodging mini-vans and sedans. Tortoises travel at 0.2 mph on average and have not yet developed a “jaywalk jog.”
If you see a tortoise in the road, stop and give them plenty of space to cross. If safe, try to alert others. Generally, tortoises should never be handled or touched. However, if a tortoise is in immediate danger of being struck and will not move from the roadway, carefully follow these steps. Use a barrier between you and the tortoise like gloves or a jacket to pick them up. Move them slowly and low to the ground in the direction they’re traveling. Place them 50-100 feet off the road in a shady spot. One of the reasons tortoises should not be touched outside of an emergency situation is that they can void their bladder if scared. They can store water for up to one year, and voiding their bladder can be very detrimental to their health.
To learn more about these ancient reptiles and why they are now a threatened species, check out 👉https://www.nps.gov/jotr/learn/nature/tortoise.htm
📷: NPS/Brad Sutton
