THE LAW AND THE TORTOISE

WILD TORTOISES

The Protected Tortoise

Wild and captive tortoises are protected in different ways by various local, state, and federal laws. Wild desert tortoises in the Mojave Desert, including Nevada, are on the federal list of Threatened and Endangered Species. Tortoises in Nevada are also protected under state law. Without a special permit, no one is allowed to touch, disturb, collect, or harm a wild tortoise or disturb a tortoise burrow. Tortoise remains are not to be collected. Tortoises, wild or domesticated, dead or alive, along with their eggs are not to be bought, sold, or taken across state lines without a state or federal permit.

A special permit has been granted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to Clark County, Nevada. Persons who file properly to develop private land may remove tortoises from those lands, but removal before development is now voluntary on the part of the developer. However, no tortoise is to be intentionally killed during development. They are to be collected and turned over to the Tortoise Pick-up Service, (702) 593-9027, not taken for personal use.

Why Wild Tortoises Should Not Be Removed from the Desert

It is against the law to collect a wild tortoise without a permit. Tortoises often cross roads through undeveloped desert. They know where they are going; they are not lost. There is no need to “rescue” them unless they are in danger from heavy or fast traffic. If it is safe for you to stop, approach the tortoise from the front, pick it up, hold it level and move it several yards beyond the side of the road or inside any fencing in the direction the tortoise was heading.

Wild tortoises tend to urinate when picked up because they are frightened. The tortoise has stored this water to use over many months. When you cause this water to be lost, the tortoise may die of dehydration before the next rain. So, think twice about moving a tortoise unless it is in immediate danger from vehicles.


Figure 1. Winter rain produced an unusual
spring flowering for wild tortoises.

If you recently removed a tortoise from underdeveloped desert or a road through undeveloped desert, in Clark County Nevada, the first step is to call the Tortoise Pick-Up Service immediately, 702-953-9027. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be in charge of the eventual return of this tortoise to the desert. In other Nevada Counties or other states, contact the local U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the State Department of Fish and Game. You are not to release the tortoise or keep it for personal use. It's the law.

Keep the tortoise indoors until picked up. Put it in a box with solid sides and a loose lid so it cannot see out and one that is tall enough that the tortoise cannot climb out. Place it in a quiet spot. Do not place towels in the bottom, as the tortoise nails could get tangled. Check occasionally. The Pick-Up Service usually arrives within a few hours.


Back