DTC News
46th [Virtual] Annual Symposium, February 2021
Our 46th Annual Desert Tortoise Council Symposium this February was another success, this time delivered virtually, with the help of the Turtle Survival Alliance. The program included plenary speakers, multiple sessions on research and new affecting tortoises and their conservation, and awards.
DTC Newsletter – Volume 45, Issue 1
BLM Purchases $5 Million Land Parcel in Desert Tortoise Reserve; Grant Award For Purchase Reserva Monte Mojino ; Structure and Function of the Desert Tortoise Council’s Ecosystems Advisory Committee (EAC); Ravens Prove a Challenge for Indoor Head-starting Experiment; A Recap of the 2020 Introduction to the Mojave Desert Tortoise Course; and more…
First Known Cases of RHDV-2 Found in California
Since March 2020, Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus Serotype 2 (RHDV-2) has been spreading through wild and domestic lagomorphs in the western U.S. and Mexico, causing large mortality events. RHDV2 is highly contagious and is extremely persistent in the environment.
Covid-19 Updates
Due to Covid-19, the Desert Tortoise Council will not hold public gatherings until public health authorities can confidently approve them. We will plan to substitute our onsite events with virtual meetings. Please see information on the November Introductory Course and the Annual Symposium for specifics.
RFP: Innovations for Improvement/Restoration of Desert Tortoise Foraging Habitat
The Desert Tortoise Council announces a request for proposals (RFP) for research projects targeted at developing innovations or methods designed to improve desert tortoise habitat restoration techniques. An award of $9,000 is available for the research project.
2020 Symposium Abstracts
The 2020 Annual Symposium in Las Vegas was a success! Click the title above to view abstracts from the presentations.
2020 Grants Applications Now Available!
The Desert Tortoise Council’s Grants Committee is now accepting applications for the 2020 David J. Morafka Memorial Research Award, and Glenn R. Stewart Student Travel Fund.
New Publication – Mojave Desert Tortoise, Agassiz’s Desert Tortoise
A new, comprehensive account of Agassiz’s desert tortoise by Kristin H. Berry and Robert W. Murphy has been published by the Chelonian Research Foundation and Turtle Conservancy in association with the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, Global Wildlife Conservation, Turtle Conservation Fund, and International Union for Conservation of Nature / Species Survival Commission.
Desert Tortoise Annotated Bibliography
In 2015, the Desert Tortoise Council funded a grant to the USGS to complete this very important document. The “Desert Tortoise Annotated Bibliography, 1991 – 2015” is now available!