Desert Tortoise Declines 96% Since 1970s—California Lists as Endangered

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Desert tortoise populations have plummeted 96% since the 1970s, prompting California to elevate their status from threatened to endangered.

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A protected facility at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center shields vulnerable young tortoises behind barbed wire until their shells toughen against predators.

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Ravens, thriving on human waste and water sources, have multiplied 30-50 times their natural numbers, leaving piles of dead baby tortoises beneath their nests.

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The Living Desert Zoo partners with San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance through headstarting programs, raising hatchlings in protected environments before wild release.

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Off-road vehicles crushing vital biocrust disrupts seed banks, damages burrows, and endangers slow-moving tortoises camouflaged against desert rocks.

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A glimpse of a single tortoise interloper brings Marine training exercises to halt, requiring permission and expert intervention if the reptile becomes stressed.

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Livestock grazing spreads inedible non-native grasses while power lines create perches for ravens to spot tortoise prey across vast territories.

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Climate change and urban development fragment tortoise habitats into parcels too small for sustainable breeding populations.

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Scientists track pregnant females via X-ray, protecting eggs until hatchlings reach 4 inches - a process taking up to nine years.

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Military bases relocate tortoises from training grounds while preserving 43,800 acres as restricted zones for species protection.

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