UTAH — Do you have what it takes to participate in the Utah Desert Tortoise Adoption Program and help the state’s native desert tortoises?
Listed as threatened under the 1990 Endangered Species Act, Mojave desert tortoises (native to parts of Arizona, Utah, Nevada and California) are amazingly long-lived reptiles easily identified by their high-domed, brown/grey shells and elephant-like hind legs
In Utah, it is illegal to collect or remove desert tortoises from the wild, release captive tortoises back into the wild or transport them without proper certifications. Tortoises that are removed from the wild unfortunately cannot be returned, due to the risk of introducing diseases.
“Removing tortoises from the wild can harm wild populations by reducing their ability to reproduce and sustain themselves on the landscape. Tortoises that are removed from the wild cannot be returned, due to the risk of introducing diseases, especially if they’ve been kept in a home with other animals. We are concerned primarily about the upper respiratory tract disease, spread by the release of sick captive tortoises and associated with population declines in the wild. This disease causes symptoms similar to pneumonia.” –DWR Native Herpetology Coordinator Alyssa Hoekstra
To address the problem The Utah Desert Tortoise Adoption Program was launched in the 1990s to provide homes to captive tortoises that could not be released into the wild. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources currently has 15 desert tortoises that are available for adoption.
“Captive tortoises make great pets. They have their own unique personality, they will gladly eat the weeds in your backyard, and they are fairly independent as long as they have shade and food. They also hibernate for roughly five months out of the year, making them a fairly low-maintenance pet.” -DWR Native Herpetology Coordinator Alyssa Hoekstra
If you are interested in adopting a tortoise, you must meet the following criteria:
-Submit an application to tortoise@utah.gov and pay the $10 handling fee.
-Design a safe outdoor and indoor environment for a tortoise (following program guidelines that can be found on our website).
-Have your outdoor and indoor environment inspected by the adoption program. Once you are approved, there is a $75 certificate of registration fee.
-Understand that tortoises can live 60-70 years. Program adoptees are responsible for all veterinary costs.
-Be aware that, in order to adopt a desert tortoise from this program, you need to live in Utah, but you cannot live in Washington County.
