World Turtle Day
All tortoises are turtles, but not all turtles are tortoises.
Tortoises are exclusively land creatures, like our friend in the desert here.
The American Tortoise Rescue began in 1990 to protect these animals from environmental hazards, including the hunting and harvesting of their eggs. Their mission is to fight the exploitation of turtles for food and the illegal sale of live animals on the internet.
The desert tortoise lives in the Mojave Desert of California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah. It is currently listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
Ravens are a major predator of tortoise babies, but once they reach adulthood, they are rarely killed. Not only can they tuck inside their shell for protection, but they're also diggers who burrow. This is also how they temperature control during the cold nights and hot days.
The Nature Conservancy has created Habitat Protection Plans, which includes the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. The animals rely on areas with high plant species diversity, where they eat a variety of grasses, shrubs, cacti, and wildflowers. They get much of their water from succulents.
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