DESERT TORTOISE

which are folded over the withdrawn head to present an invulnerable exterior. If the tortoise considers danger past, he'll peek out slowly, then immediately lumber off to seek the shelter of some nearby plant or rock crevice.

Through the centuries his adaptations have been so perfected that he might easily survive on a desert even during a season of great drouth. Succulent desert plants, particularly the cacti, provide him with both food and water. Horn-like plates cover both his arched back and his flat lower shield, and inside the back are two reservoirs of water upon which he may draw for many days when deprived of any other source of water.

Like many another desert dweller, the tortoise avoids long exposure to rays of mid-day sun, especially during the hot summer months. Generally, they forage for food in the cool of morning or late afternoon, for, being reptiles, they cannot endure extreme heat, as they are unable to regulate their body temperature.

They hibernate in winter, and, in areas of extremely hot temperatures, it is believed by some that they hibernate during the heat of summer. However, specimens have been found in Yuma County during the hottest months.

Some observers have clocked the tortoise upward of twenty feet per minute, but several which were kept in my Kofa Mountain camp traveled no more than fifteen feet per minute. They rarely hurry.

When first approached, a tortoise will draw his head quickly into his shell. If the observer sits directly in front of the timid tortoise he often remains completely closed for upwards of a half hour, gradually letting the forelegs move forward so the head could be extended enough to enable him to observe the intruder. Immediately he will draw himself back into the safety of his shell if any quick movements are seen.

Should the tortoise be taken in hand he will not try to bite, but immediately put out his head and begin to work his powerful legs in an effort to get away. These muscular legs are tipped with heavy claws which he uses for digging. When the tortoise is turned so that he faces away from the intruder he will take off almost instantly to seek the safety of some crevice or burrow. If kept in captivity he'll soon take food from the hand that offers it. If no cactus leaves are available he'll be content with crisp lettuce leaves.

These tortoises have always been prized as food by the desert Indians; their shells served as dishes. Even now, both the Mexicans and Indians regard the tortoise as a delicacy.

Like most other land turtles, the tortoise spends a greater portion of his life in a comparatively small area. Over a period of three months these tortoises have been observed along the same trails, coming out about the same time each afternoon to forage for food. Young tortoises have been seen on the desert during May, and, as with all turtles, they are hatched from eggs, which are usually deposited in sand, during early spring when the earth is comparatively moist.

Immediately following a shower, the tortoise becomes very active. On occasion one may see two or three of them moving about over the desert, not feeding, but seemingly enjoying the freshness of the moist ground and cooler air.

Shortly after a spring shower had drenched the Kofa Mountains, I was driving down its western slope below Palm Canyon when far ahead I could see two glistening forms move onto the road. Great clouds, rent with lightning and thunder that shook the earth, gave way to a mighty beam of sunlight that reflected from the tortoises' backs. With a binocular I watched them as they approached each other. They moved forward cautiously and touched noses for a full minute it seemed. One circled around the other, then, both obviously satisfied that they were in good company, they moved off side by side. For an unforgettable experience, take time to seek out the desert tortoise. When you look into his face, you look beyond time into the face of antiquity itself. It's a face you'll never forget!