Help Collect Important Data Regarding Tortoise and Raven Observations Using the ROaDS App

Help collect data needed to monitor road mortality for desert tortoises and other Mojave Desert species, raven activity, and any observations of tortoises or their carcasses you may observe in the wild while you’re out exploring and hiking. The data you collect using the app will help identify areas where road mortality and/or raven activity may be occurring at high rates (hot-spots) and help inform development of management actions to address these issues.

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12-Month Finding for the Sonoran Desert Tortoise

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that federal listing under the Endangered Species Act is not warranted for the Sonoran Desert Tortoise (Gopherus morafki) at this time.

Read the Proposed Rule at federalregister.gov

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.

In early May, an unusual number of dead lagomorphs were reported on a site in the Coachella Valley in Riverside County. At the request of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), a specimen was transported to a lab for necropsy the death was attributed to RHDV-2. Ultimately over fifty dead lagomorphs were found in the area over the course of just a few weeks and in the weeks since, cases have also been reported in San Diego, Orange, and San Bernardino counties.

CDFW, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are working to limit transmission and have published guidance.

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.

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Conservation Organizations Gathered to Discuss Enhanced Wildlife Protections in the U.S.-Mexico Border States

Last month, some 40 wildlife conservation leaders and specialists representing 22 American and Mexican non-governmental organizations were gathered during the 44th Annual Symposium of the Desert Tortoise Council in Tucson, Arizona to celebrate recent successes and accelerate protection of transboundary wildlife corridors, with a focus on supporting private lands conservation on the U.S.-Mexico border states.

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Desert Tortoise Annotated Bibliography

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has just released the “Desert Tortoise Annotated Bibliography, 1991 – 2015”, prepared by Dr. Kristin H. Berry and her team.  The Desert Tortoise Council funded a grant to the USGS to complete this very important document.

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Call for DTC Archival Materials 1975-2013

The DTC is very interested in gathering all available hard copy materials that will help us accurately represent the rich history of the Desert Tortoise Council. We are particularly interested in hearing from past board members and officers, and respectfully seek folders and boxes full of archival materials.

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Conserving America’s National Parks

This newly-published book by Dr. Scott Abella. Conserving America’s National Parks shares the status of conservation challenges and successes in America’s 408 national parks. The book includes discussions of interactions of the desert tortoise with non-native plants and fire, plus renewable energy, in addition to the overall focus of the book on conserving key habitats.

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