The animals are also vulnerable to a range of deadly diseases such as upper respiratory illnesses and the shell disease cutaneous dyskeratosis, which softens their shells. Finally, as climate change ...

This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today. Spotting a Mojave Desert tortoise is ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. As monsoon rains bring much needed water to Arizona’s deserts, you may notice some of the state’s beloved shell-backed reptiles on ...

For the desert tortoise, an approximately 1-foot-long reptile found in desert valleys across California and the American Southwest, a full lifespan can be up to 80 years. So while the Mojave National ...

PICACHO, Ariz. (AP) — How long does it take a large desert tortoise to get to the other side of a southern Arizona highway? It’s still a mystery, after a state Department of Public Safety trooper ...

Each year the Arizona Game and Fish Department adopts out countless numbers of captive desert tortoises that are surrendered to the department. Unfortunately, they cannot be released back into the ...

As monsoon rains bring much needed water to Arizona’s deserts, you may notice some of the state’s beloved shell-backed reptiles on the move. State wildlife officials have a message for those who may ...