"The desert tortoise is in terrible shape, especially in the West Mojave, where it's in the worst shape. And it's partly due to this kind of habitat loss and the constant fragmentation," Belenky said.

Seventy critically endangered Mojave desert tortoises are bringing hope to their threatened species. Six months ago, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDWZA) and The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens ...

Following more than three decades of declining numbers, the Mojave desert tortoise has been officially declared an endangered species in California. The California Fish and Game Commission voted u ...

In the early years of the 20th century, they still thrived within the Southwest's arid landscapes: As many as 1,000 tortoises per square mile once inhabited the Mojave. But by the end of last century, ...

Mojave Max, a desert tortoise mascot for the Clark County Desert Conservation Program, is Las Vegas’ Punxsutawney Phil equivalent. Every year, elementary students guess when the famous reptile ...

desert tortoise habitat, natural areas, scenic viewsheds and the integrity of adjacent wilderness study areas. Moreover, the project’s groundwater pumping could harm water quality and quantity at ...

“In the last 20 years, we have lost 37% of the Mojave desert tortoise population,” Herbinson said. “We’ve lost an estimated 90% of them in the last half-century. It’s catastrophic.

Many area residents know Mojave Max from his annual emergence contest, where elementary school students participate in the Punxsutawney Phil-esque tradition of guessing when the desert tortoise ...

The project will permanently protect western Joshua tree and desert tortoise habitat near the newly designated Mojave Desert Sentinel Landscape. The 3.5 million acre Mojave Desert Sentinel ...