The mountains in the McCullough Range lie mostly above the city of Henderson in the U.S. state of Nevada . The range has two distinct areas with the northern portion being primarily volcanic in origin, while the southern part of the range is primarily composed of metamorphic rock .
75-951: McCullough Range was named after a pioneer settler. Some of the northern part of the range is designated as the North McCullough Wilderness by the US Department of the Interior 's Bureau of Land Management while some of the southern part of the range is similarly designated as the South McCullough Wilderness . In addition the North McCullough Wilderness is within Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area which allows further protection and enhancement. The South McCullough Wilderness
150-653: A " culture of fear " and of "ethical failure." Devaney has also said, "Simply stated, short of a crime, anything goes at the highest levels of the Department of Interior." Launched in June of 2021, the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative intended to investigate federal Indian boarding school policies and multi-generational impacts of trauma on American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children. Released in two volumes,
225-417: A direct result of human influence. The second study indicated that captive tortoises can be a source of disease to wild Agassiz's desert tortoise populations. Johnson et al. (2006) tested blood samples for URTD (n = 179) and herpesvirus (n = 109) from captive tortoises found near Barstow, CA and Hesperia, CA. Demographic and health data were collected from the tortoises, as well from other reptiles housed in
300-540: A landscape can have unforeseen consequences . As a corollary to research, education may help prevent captive tortoises from coming into contact with wild populations. Education campaigns through veterinarians, government agencies, schools, museums, and community centers throughout the range of the desert tortoise could limit the spread of tortoise diseases into wild populations. Strategies may include encouraging people to not breed their captive tortoises, ensure that different species of turtles and tortoises are not housed in
375-484: A large area of dry soil and with access to vegetation and water. An underground den and a balanced diet are crucial to the health of captive tortoises. Wild populations of tortoises must be managed effectively to minimize the spread of diseases, which includes research and education. Despite significant research being conducted on desert tortoises and disease, a considerable knowledge gap still exists in understanding how disease affects desert tortoise population dynamics. It
450-891: A length of 25 to 36 cm (10 to 14 in), with males being slightly larger than females. A male tortoise has a longer gular horn than a female, his plastron (lower shell) is concave compared to a female tortoise. Males have larger tails than females do. Their shells are high-domed, and greenish-tan to dark brown in color. The high domes of their shells allow for space for their lungs, which helps them maintain thermoregulation, also known as maintaining internal temperature. Desert tortoises can grow to 10–15 cm (4–6 in) in height. They can range in weight from 8 to 15 pounds, or 3.5 kg to 7 kg. The front limbs have sharp, claw-like scales and are flattened for digging. Back legs are skinnier and very long. Desert tortoises can live in areas with ground temperatures exceeding 60 °C (140 °F) because of their ability to dig burrows and escape
525-519: A member of Congress for New Mexico, took the oath of office as secretary, becoming the first American Indian to lead an executive department, and the third woman to lead the department. DOI Convocation Honor Award is the most prestigious recognition that can be granted by the department. The following awards are presented at the Honor Awards Convocation: In 2018, DOI established 12 organizational regions to be used across
600-635: A member of the president's Cabinet . The current secretary is Deb Haaland . As of mid-2004, the department managed 507 million acres (2,050,000 km ) of surface land, or about one-fifth of the land in the United States. It manages 476 dams and 348 reservoirs through the Bureau of Reclamation , 431 national parks , monuments, historical sites, etc. through the National Park Service , and 544 national wildlife refuges through
675-526: A separate domestic department continued to percolate for a half-century and was supported by presidents from James Madison to James Polk . The 1846–48 Mexican–American War gave the proposal new steam as the responsibilities of the federal government grew. Polk's secretary of the treasury , Robert J. Walker , became a vocal champion of creating the new department. In 1849, Walker stated in his annual report that several federal offices were placed in departments with which they had little to do. He noted that
750-616: A steep eastern escarpment and a gradual western slope. The area supports a unique combination of plants from the Mojave and Sonoran deserts and Great Basin Desert ecosystems. The primary vegetation is a creosote bush community with barrel cactus ( Ferocactus cylindraceus ), Joshua trees ( Yucca brevifolia ), various chollas ( Cylindropuntia spp.) and prickly pears ( Opuntia spp.). Unlike other mountain ranges in Clark County,
825-1267: A third species, Goode's thornscrub tortoise, in northern Sinaloan and southern Sonora, Mexico. An isolated population of Agassiz's desert tortoise occurs in the Black Mountains of northwestern Arizona. They live in a different type of habitat, from sandy flats to rocky foothills. They have a strong proclivity in the Mojave Desert for alluvial fans , washes, and canyons where more suitable soils for den construction might be found. They range from near sea level to around 1,050 m (3,500 ft) in elevation. Tortoises show very strong site fidelity, and have well-established home ranges where they know where their food, water, and mineral resources are. Desert tortoises inhabit elevations from below mean sea level in Death Valley to 1,600 m (5,300 ft) in Arizona, though they are most common from around 300 to 1,050 m (1,000 to 3,500 ft). Estimates of densities vary from less than 8/km (21/sq mi) on sites in southern California to over 500/km (1,300/sq mi) in
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#1732791562038900-461: A very vulnerable condition in dry areas, since the tortoise will no longer have a backup water supply. If a tortoise is seen in the wild, you should not handle, or pick them up unless they are in imminent danger. Handling of tortoises may have consequences for the animal, such as the development of upper respiratory tract infections. Ravens , Gila monsters , kit foxes , badgers , roadrunners , coyotes , and fire ants are all natural predators of
975-630: A year depending on the climate. Their eggs incubate from 90 to 135 days; some eggs may overwinter and hatch the following spring. In a laboratory experiment, temperature influenced hatching rates and hatchling sex. Incubation temperatures from 27 to 31 °C (81 to 88 °F) resulted in hatching rates exceeding 83%, while incubation at 25 °C (77 °F) resulted in a 53% hatching rate. Incubation temperatures less than 31 °C (88 °F) resulted in all-male clutches. Average incubation time decreased from 124.7 days at 25 °C (77 °F) to 78.2 days at 31 °C (88 °F). The desert tortoise
1050-406: A year or more without access to water. During the summer and dry seasons, they rely on the water contained within cactus fruits and mesquite grass. To maintain sufficient water, they reabsorb water in their bladders, and move to humid burrows in the morning to prevent water loss by evaporation. A desert tortoise can empty its bladder as one of its defense mechanisms. This can leave the tortoise in
1125-466: Is 71–89%. The desert tortoise is an herbivore . Grasses form the bulk of its diet, but it also eats herbs , annual wildflowers, and new growth of cacti, as well as their fruit and flowers. Rocks and soil are also ingested, perhaps as a means of maintaining intestinal digestive bacteria as a source of supplementary calcium or other minerals. As with birds, stones may also function as gastroliths , enabling more efficient digestion of plant material in
1200-559: Is Bryan Newland, an enrolled member of the Bay Mills Indian Community . The department has been the subject of disputes over proper accounting for American Indian Trusts set up to track the income and distribution of monies that are generated by the trust and specific American Indian lands, which the government leases for fees to companies that extract oil, timber, minerals, and other resources. Several cases have sought an accounting of such funds from departments within
1275-573: Is distributed in western Arizona, southeastern California, southern Nevada, and southwestern Utah. The specific name agassizii is in honor of Swiss-American zoologist Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz . The desert tortoise is the official state reptile in California and Nevada. The desert tortoise lives about 50 to 80 years; it grows slowly and generally has a low reproductive rate. It spends most of its time in burrows, rock shelters, and pallets to regulate body temperature and reduce water loss. It
1350-578: Is hidden inside the male and can only be coaxed out with sexual implication) into the cloaca of a female, which is located around the tail. The male may make grunting noises once atop a female, and may move his front legs up and down in a constant motion, as if playing a drum. Months later, the female lays a clutch of four to eight hard-shelled eggs, which have the size and shape of ping-pong balls, usually in June or July. The eggs hatch in August or September. Wild female tortoises produce up to three clutches
1425-591: Is managed by the department, with most of the remainder managed by the Department of Agriculture 's Forest Service . The department was created on March 3, 1849. It is headquartered at the Main Interior Building , located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. The department is headed by the secretary of the interior , who reports directly to the president of the United States and is
1500-454: Is more common for desert tortoises of opposite sexes than for desert tortoises of the same sex. Tortoises mate in the spring and autumn. Male desert tortoises grow two large white glands around the chin area, called chin glands, that signify mating season. A male circles around female, biting her shell in the process. He then climbs upon the female and insert his penis (a white organ, usually only seen upon careful inspection during mating, as it
1575-470: Is most active after seasonal rains and is inactive during most of the year. This inactivity helps reduce water loss during hot periods, whereas winter brumation facilitates survival during freezing temperatures and low food availability. Desert tortoises can tolerate water, salt, and energy imbalances on a daily basis, which increases their lifespans. In 2011, on the basis of DNA, geographic, and behavioral differences between desert tortoises east and west of
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#17327915620381650-623: Is not known if the population would still decline if disease were completely absent from the system; are tortoises more susceptible to disease during drought conditions? How does a non-native diet impact a tortoise's ability to ward off pathogens? What are the causes of immunity exhibited by some desert tortoises? The 2008 USFWS draft recovery plan suggests that populations of tortoises that are uninfected, or only recently infected, should likely be considered research and management priorities. Tortoises are known to show resistance to disease in some areas, an effort to identify and maintain these individuals in
1725-520: Is not understood. Infection is characterized by both physiological and behavioral changes: nasal and ocular discharge, palpebral edema (swelling of the upper and/or lower palpebra , or eyelid, the fleshy portion that is in contact with the tortoises eye globe) and conjunctivitis , weight loss, changes in color and elasticity of the integument , and lethargic or erratic behavior. These pathogens are likely transmitted by contact with an infected individual. Epidemiological studies of wild desert tortoises in
1800-844: Is one of the few known tortoises in existence that has been observed engaging in homosexual intercourse Same-sex intercourse happens in many species, There is no one answer as to why this occurs. One possible explanation for this could be the social component of gaining and establishing dominance. The desert tortoise grows slowly, often taking 16 years or longer to reach about 20 cm (8 in) in length. The growth rate varies with age, location, gender and precipitation. It can slow down from 12 mm/year for ages 4–8 years to about 6.0 mm/year for ages 16 to 20 years. Males and females grow at similar rates; females can grow slightly faster when young, but males grow larger than females. Desert tortoises reach their reproductive maturity at ages 15 to 20, when they become longer than 18 cm (7 in). However, it
1875-605: Is part of Avi Kwa Ame National Monument , designated in 2023. The McCullough Range is surrounded by three valleys. First, the Las Vegas Valley lies to the north; next, the north region of the Ivanpah Valley , with two major dry lakes borders the west; and to the east lies the endorheic basin of the Eldorado Valley . The range specifically borders one mountain range at the south, being connected to
1950-846: Is possible for them to mature faster as 10-year-old females that are able to reproduce have been observed. Their activity depends on location, peaking in late spring for the Mojave Desert and in late summer to fall in Sonoran Desert; some populations exhibit two activity peaks during one year. Desert tortoises brumate during winters, roughly from November to February–April. Females begin brumating later and emerge earlier than males; juveniles emerge from brumation earlier than adults. Temperature strongly influences desert tortoise activity level. Although desert tortoises can survive body temperatures from below freezing to over 40 °C (104 °F), most activity occurs at temperatures from 26 to 34 °C (79 to 93 °F). The influence of temperature
2025-730: Is reflected in daily activity patterns, with desert tortoises often active late in the morning during spring and fall, early in the morning and late in the evening during the summer, and occasionally becoming active during relatively warm winter afternoons. The activity generally increases after rainfall. Although desert tortoises spend the majority of their time in shelter, movements of up to 200 m (660 ft) per day are common. The common, comparatively short-distance movements presumably represent foraging activity, traveling between burrows, and possibly mate-seeking or other social behaviors. Long-distance movements could potentially represent dispersal into new areas and/or use of peripheral portions of
2100-776: Is unlawful to touch, harm, harass, or collect wild desert tortoises. It is, however, possible to adopt captive tortoises through the Tortoise Adoption Program in Arizona, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Desert Tortoise Adoption Program in Utah, Joshua Tree Tortoise Rescue Project in California, or through Bureau of Land Management in Nevada . When adopted in Nevada, they will have a computer chip embedded on their backs for reference. According to Arizona Game and Fish Commission Rule R12-4-407 A.1, they may be possessed if
2175-414: The Department of Homeland Security primarily and the Department of Justice secondarily. The Department of the Interior has often been humorously called "the Department of Everything Else" because of its broad range of responsibilities. A department for domestic concern was first considered by the 1st United States Congress in 1789, but those duties were placed in the Department of State . The idea of
2250-497: The Fish and Wildlife Service . The largest land management agency is the Bureau of Land Management , managing about one-eighth of the land in the United States. Despite its name, the Department of the Interior has a different role from that of the interior ministries of other nations, which are usually responsible for police matters and internal security. In the United States, national security and immigration functions are performed by
2325-466: The G. agassizii population has been negatively affected by upper respiratory tract disease, cutaneous dyskeratosis , herpes virus , shell necrosis , urolithiasis (bladder stones), and parasites . Upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) is a chronic, infectious disease responsible for population declines across the entire range of the desert tortoise. It was identified in the early 1970s in captive desert tortoise populations, and later identified in
McCullough Range - Misplaced Pages Continue
2400-585: The Senate . The department was established on March 3, 1849 (9 Stat. 395 ), the eve of President Zachary Taylor 's inauguration, when the Senate voted 31 to 25 to create the department. Its passage was delayed by Democrats in Congress who were reluctant to create more patronage posts for the incoming Whig administration to fill. The first secretary of the interior was Thomas Ewing . Several of
2475-491: The Texas tortoise , G. berlandieri . The intentional or accidental release of these tortoises could have dire consequences for wild tortoises. Before obtaining a desert tortoise as a pet, it is best to check the laws and regulations of the local area and/or state. Desert tortoises may not be captured from the wild. They may, however, be given as a gift from one private owner to another. Desert tortoises need to be kept outdoors in
2550-788: The United States General Land Office had little to do with the Treasury and also highlighted the Indian Affairs office , part of the Department of War , and the Patent Office , part of the Department of State . Walker argued that these and other bureaus should be brought together in a new Department of the Interior. A bill authorizing its creation of the department passed the House of Representatives on February 15, 1849, and spent just over two weeks in
2625-434: The scutes . Areas infected with CD appear discolored, dry, rough and flakey, with peeling, pitting, and chipping through multiple cornified layers. Lesions are usually first located on the plastron (underside) of the tortoises, although lesions on the carapace (upper side) and fore limbs are not uncommon. In advanced cases, exposed areas become infected with bacteria, fungi, and exposed tissue and bone may become necrotic. CD
2700-601: The 1980s, and the Mojave population is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 in 1990, after being listed as endangered, or threatened in the case of the Beaver Dam Slope, Utah population, under an emergency rule in 1989. All desert tortoises are protected under law of the United States based on similarity of appearance to tortoises of the protected Mojave population. It
2775-642: The Colorado River in Arizona, as well as in the states of Sonora and Sinaloa, Mexico . The acceptance of G. morafkai reduced the range of G. agassizii by about 70% In 2016, based on a large-scale genetic analysis, ecological and morphological data, researchers proposed a split between the Sonoran and Sinaloan populations. This southernmost member of the Gopherus genus was named G. evgoodei, Goode's thornscrub tortoise . These tortoises may attain
2850-425: The Colorado River, it was decided that two species of desert tortoises exist: Agassiz's desert tortoise ( Gopherus agassizii ) and Morafka's desert tortoise ( Gopherus morafkai ). The new species name is in honor of the late Professor David Joseph Morafka of California State University, Dominguez Hills , in recognition of his many contributions to the study and conservation of Gopherus . G. morafkai occurs east of
2925-575: The Interior The United States Department of the Interior ( DOI ) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal lands and natural resources . It also administers programs relating to Native Americans , Alaska Natives , Native Hawaiians , territorial affairs, and insular areas of the United States, as well as programs related to historic preservation. About 75% of federal public land
3000-769: The Interior and Treasury (such as the Minerals Management Service), in what has been a 15-year-old lawsuit. Some American Indian nations have also sued the government over water-rights issues and their treaties with the US. In 2010 Congress passed the Claims Settlement Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-291), which provided $ 3.4 billion for the settlement of the Cobell v. Salazar class-action trust case and four American Indian water rights cases. On March 16, 2021, Deb Haaland , serving at that time as
3075-617: The Interior, at Fall's behest. Secretary of the Interior James G. Watt faced criticism for his alleged hostility to environmentalism, for his support of the development and use of federal lands by foresting, ranching, and other commercial interests, and for banning the Beach Boys from playing a 1983 Independence Day concert on the National Mall out of concerns of attracting "an undesirable element". His 1983 resignation
McCullough Range - Misplaced Pages Continue
3150-508: The McCullough Range is volcanic in origin. Examples of lava flows, ash falls and glassy zones are clearly visible. The area supports native black gramma grass ( Bouteloua eriopoda ), which is not known to occur anywhere else in Nevada and stands of teddy bear cholla ( Cylindropuntia bigelovii ), which is the northernmost extent of the species. Remarkable petroglyph panels and other important cultural resource features occur within
3225-694: The area to 7,026 ft (2,142 m) at McCullough Mountain in the center of the wilderness. Most of the area is composed of metamorphosed Precambrian rock, granite , and schist , although basalt and andesite flows occur in the northern reaches of the southern portion. Creosote bush ( Larrea tridentata ) scrub occurs below 4,500 ft (1,400 m); Joshua trees, Mojave yucca ( Yucca schidigera ), and other cacti occur between 3,500–5,000 ft (1,100–1,500 m); blackbrush occurs between 4,500–5,000 ft (1,400–1,500 m); pinyon-juniper occurs above 5,000 ft (1,500 m). Scattered mesquite /catclaw communities also occur in washes throughout
3300-468: The area. Signs of prehistoric and Pre-Columbian habitation have been found in the area, including rock art , occupation and settlement sites, and pinyon pine nut caches. This was part of the historic homeland of the Mojave people . The desert tortoise , Nelson bighorn sheep , Gambel's quail and chukar are present. This article incorporates public domain text from Bureau of Land Management sources listed above. United States Department of
3375-425: The creation of off-road vehicles more humans are making their way in and out of the desert tortoises' home environment. Desert tortoises spend most of their lives in burrows , rock shelters, and pallets to regulate body temperature and reduce water loss. Burrows are tunnels dug into soil by desert tortoises or other animals, rock shelters are spaces protected by rocks and/or boulders, and pallets are depressions in
3450-467: The dangers of human development, such as the use of off-roading vehicles. These vehicles that come along at high speeds have the potential to crush and kill tortoises, running over their eggs and burrows and significantly impacting their population. Concerns about the impacts of the Ivanpah Solar thermal project led the developers to hire some 100 biologists and spend US$ 22 million caring for
3525-468: The department. These superseded the previous 49 regions used across 8 agencies. Desert tortoise The desert tortoise ( Gopherus agassizii ) is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae . The species is native to the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico , and to the Sinaloan thornscrub of northwestern Mexico. G. agassizii
3600-524: The desert tortoise's habitat is a series of proposed wind and solar farms . As a result of legislation, solar energy companies have been making plans for huge projects in the desert regions of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah. The requests submitted to the Bureau of Land Management total nearly 7,300 km (1,800,000 acres). While tortoises are made to withstand tough conditions and high temperatures, they are unable to cope with
3675-660: The desert tortoise. They prey on eggs, juveniles, which are 50–75 mm (2–3 in) long with a thin, delicate shell, or, in some cases, adults. Ravens are thought to cause significant levels of juvenile tortoise predation in some areas of the Mojave Desert – frequently near urbanized areas. The most significant threats to tortoises include urbanization , disease, habitat destruction and fragmentation, illegal collection and vandalism by humans, and habitat conversion from invasive plant species ( Brassica tournefortii , Bromus rubens and Erodium spp.). Desert tortoise populations in some areas have declined by as much as 90% since
3750-601: The domestic concerns the department originally dealt with were gradually transferred to other departments. For example, the Department of Interior was responsible for water pollution control prior to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency . Other agencies became separate departments, such as the Bureau of Agriculture , which later became the Department of Agriculture . However, land and natural resource management, American Indian affairs, wildlife conservation, and territorial affairs remain
3825-1103: The entrance of burrows or under shrubs. Nests are typically 8 to 25 centimetres (3 to 10 inches) deep. Shelters are important for controlling body temperature and water regulation, as they allow desert tortoises to slow their rate of heating in summer and provide protection from cold during the winter. The humidity within burrows prevents dehydration. Burrows also provide protection from predators. The availability of adequate burrow sites influences desert tortoise densities. Each desert tortoise uses about 5 to 25 burrows per year. Some burrows are used repeatedly, sometimes for several consecutive years. Desert tortoises share burrows with various mammals, reptiles, birds, and invertebrates, such as white-tailed antelope squirrels ( Ammospermophilus leucurus ), woodrats ( Neotoma ), collared peccaries ( Dicolytes tajacu ), burrowing owls ( Athene cunicularia ), Gambel's quail ( Callipepla gambelii ), rattlesnakes ( Crotalus spp.), Gila monsters ( Heloderma suspectum ), beetles, spiders, and scorpions. One burrow can host up to 23 desert tortoises – such sharing
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#17327915620383900-479: The healthy tortoises as any predator bird need only feed once on a small tortoise to remember it as a viable food source. The National Park Service did not take the measures they were urged to. They responded with "We simply do not believe that such regulations are warranted at this time." and no further action has been taken. Reptiles are known to become infected by a wide range of pathogens , which includes viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. More specifically,
3975-438: The heat. At least 95% of their lives are spent in burrows. There, they are also protected from freezing winter weather while dormant, from November through February or March. Within their burrows, these tortoises create a subterranean environment that can be beneficial to other reptiles, mammals, birds, and invertebrates. Scientists have divided the desert tortoise into three species: Agassiz's and Morafka's desert tortoises, with
4050-577: The home range. The lifespan of a desert tortoise can vary from 50 to 80 years. The main causes of mortality in desert tortoises include predators, human-related causes, diseases, and environmental factors such as drought, flooding, and fire. The annual death rate of adults is typically a few percent, but is much higher for young desert tortoises. Only 2–5% of hatchlings are estimated to reach maturity. Estimates of survival from hatching to 1 year of age for Mojave Desert tortoises range from 47 to 51%. Survival of Mojave Desert tortoises from 1 to 4 years of age
4125-515: The northeast higher elevation foothills of the New York Mountains . Just northeast of the intersection of the two ranges, and in the southwest of Eldorado Valley lies the small Highland Range . In the northern portion of the McCullough Range elevation spans from 2,000 ft (610 m) at the eastern base of the range to 5,092 ft (1,552 m) at Black Mountain . The peaks are volcanic in origin, rounded to flat-topped, and have
4200-412: The populations is essential. Furthermore, increasing research on the social behavior of these animals, and garnering a greater understanding of how behavior facilitates disease transmission would be advantageous in understanding rates of transmission. Finally, translocation of tortoises should be done with extreme caution; disease is typically furtive and moving individuals or populations of tortoises across
4275-579: The responsibilities of the Department of the Interior. Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall was implicated in the Teapot Dome scandal of 1921. He was convicted of bribery in 1929, and served one year in prison, for his part in the controversy. A major factor in the scandal was a transfer of certain oil leases from the jurisdiction of the Department of the Navy to that of the Department of
4350-475: The same facility (which would help to prevent the spread of novel diseases into the desert tortoise population), ensure captive tortoises are adequately housed to prevent them from escaping into the wild, and to ensure that captive turtles and tortoises are never released into the wild. Desert tortoises have been severely affected by disease. Both upper respiratory tract disease and cutaneous dyskeratosis have caused precipitous population declines and die-offs across
4425-459: The same facility. Of these, 45.3% showed signs of mild disease, 16.2% of moderate disease, and 4.5% of severe disease, and blood tests revealed that 82.7% of tortoises had antibodies to mycoplasma, and 26.6% had antibodies to herpesvirus (which means the tortoises were seropositive for these two diseases, and indicate previous exposure to the causative agents). With an estimated 200,000 captive desert tortoises in California, their escape or release into
4500-590: The schools and calls for accountability and measures to address the ongoing impact on Native American families and communities to include working closely with tribal nations on the identification and repatriation of the remains. Within the Interior Department, the Bureau of Indian Affairs handles some federal relations with American Indians, while others are handled by the Office of Special Trustee. The current acting assistant secretary for Indian affairs
4575-500: The soil. The use of the various shelter types is related to their availability and climate. The number of burrows used, the extent of repetitive use, and the occurrence of burrow sharing are variable. Males tend to occupy deeper burrows than females. Seasonal trends in burrow use are influenced by desert tortoise sex and regional variation. Desert tortoise shelter sites are often associated with plant or rock cover. Desert tortoises often lay their eggs in nests dug in sufficiently deep soil at
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#17327915620384650-496: The spread of disease in desert tortoises. The Daggett Epidemiology of Upper Respiratory Tract Disease project, which provides supporting disease research for the Fort Irwin translocation project, lends an example of the spread of disease. In 2008, 197 health evaluations were conducted, revealing 25.0–45.2% exposure to M. agassizii and M. testudineum , respectively, in a core area adjacent to Interstate 15 . The spread of disease
4725-579: The stomach. Much of the tortoise's water intake comes from moisture in the grasses and wildflowers they consume in the spring. A large urinary bladder can store over 40% of the tortoise's body weight in water, urea , uric acid , and nitrogenous wastes. During very dry times, they may give off waste as a white paste rather than a watery urine . During periods of adequate rainfall, they drink copiously from any pools they find, and eliminate solid urates. The tortoises can increase their body weight by up to 40% after copious drinking. Adult tortoises can survive
4800-456: The three year investigation produced the first report in May 2022 and the second and final volume in June 2024. The final report details the severe trauma and cultural disruption inflicted on Native American communities through these schools, which operated from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century. It highlights the systemic abuse and neglect endured by students, finding 973 children died at
4875-1194: The tortoises are obtained from a captive source which is properly documented. Commission Order 43: Reptile Notes 3: one tortoise per family member. The Fort Irwin National Training Center of the US Army expanded into an area that was habitat for about 2,000 desert tortoises, and contained critical desert tortoise habitat (a designation by the US Fish and Wildlife Service). In March 2008, about 650 tortoises were moved by helicopter and vehicle, up to 35 km away. The Desert Tortoise Preserve Committee protects roughly 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres) of desert tortoise habitat from human activity. This area includes 1,760 hectares (4,340 acres) in Kern County , 290 hectares (710 acres) in San Bernardino County , and 32 hectares (80 acres) in Riverside County . Another potential threat to
4950-540: The tortoises on or near the site during construction. Despite this, in a 2011 Revised Biological Assessment for the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, the Bureau of Land Management anticipated the loss or significant degradation of 1,420 hectares (3,520 acres) of tortoise habitat and the harm of 57–274 adult tortoises, 608 juveniles, and 236 eggs inside the work area, and 203 adult tortoises and 1,541 juvenile tortoises outside
5025-420: The western Mojave Desert from 1992 to 1995 showed a 37% increase in M. agassizii . Tests were conducted on blood samples, and a positive test was determined by the presence of antibodies in the blood, defined as being seropositive . Cutaneous dyskeratosis (CD) is a shell disease of unknown origin and has unknown implications on desert tortoise populations. Observationally, it is typified by shell lesions on
5100-851: The western Mojave Desert, although most estimates are less than 150/km (390/sq mi). The home range generally consists of 4 to 40 hectares (10 to 100 acres). In general, males have larger home ranges than females, and home range size increases with increasing resources and rainfall. Desert tortoises are sensitive to the soil type, owing to their reliance on burrows for shelter, reduction of water loss, and regulation of body temperature. The soil should crumble easily during digging and be firm enough to resist collapse. Desert tortoises prefer sandy loam soils with varying amounts of gravel and clay , and tend to avoid sands or soils with low water-holding capacity, excess salts, or low resistance to flooding. They may consume soil to maintain adequate calcium levels, and may prefer sites with higher calcium content. With
5175-505: The wild is a real threat to uninfected wild populations of tortoises. Projections from this study suggest that about 4400 tortoises could escape from captivity in a given year, and with an 82% exposure rate to URTD, the wild population may be at greater risk than previously thought. Edwards et al. reported that 35% of desert tortoises in the Phoenix area are hybrids between either Gopherus agassizii and G. morafkai , or G. morafkai and
5250-427: The wild population. URTD is caused by the infectious agents Mycoplasma agassizii and Mycoplasma testudineum , which are bacteria in the class Mollicutes and characterized by having no cell wall and a small genome . Mycoplasmae appear to be highly virulent (infectious) in some populations, while chronic, or even dormant in others. The mechanism (whether environmental or genetic) responsible for this diversity
5325-468: The wilderness area. Another peak northeast of Black Mountain is home to most of the radio and television transmission towers for the Las Vegas Valley. The southern portion consists of a north–south mountain range that drops off gradually to numerous valleys, foothills and sloping bajadas on the east and west flanks. Elevations range from 2,500 ft (760 m) in the northwest portion of
5400-800: The work area. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) expects that most of the juvenile tortoises on the project will be killed. In the summer of 2010, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility filed a lawsuit against the National Park Service for not having taken measures to manage tortoise shooting in the Mojave National Preserve of California. Biologists discovered numerous gunshot wounds (holes) on dead tortoise shells which could likely have been caused long after natural death as these shells can take five years to disintegrate and make useful targets for well intentioned target shooters. These shells left behind by nature, droughts, roadkill, or vandals may have attracted ravens and threatened
5475-639: Was evident as early as 1979 and was initially identified on the Chuckwalla Bench Area of Critical Environmental Concern in Riverside County, California. Currently, the means of transmission are unknown, although hypotheses include autoimmune diseases , exposure to toxic chemicals (possibly from mines, or air pollution), or a deficiency disease (possibly resulting from tortoises consuming low-quality invasive plant species instead of high-nutrient native plants). Two case studies outlined
5550-512: Was prompted by a speech in which he said about his staff: "I have a black, a woman, two Jews and a cripple. And we have talent." Under the Administration of President George W. Bush , the Interior Department's maintenance backlog climbed from $ 5 billion to $ 8.7 billion, despite Bush's campaign pledges to eliminate it completely. Of the agency under Bush's leadership, Interior Department Inspector General Earl Devaney has cited
5625-426: Was tracked over two years, and clinical signs of URTD spread from the core area to adjacent, outlying locations during this time. Overlaying home ranges and the social nature of these animals, suggests that disease-free individuals may be vulnerable to spread of disease, and that transmission can occur rapidly. Thus, wild tortoises that are close to the urban-wildlife interface may be vulnerable to spread of disease as
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