California recognized the desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
as the official state reptile in 1972. The desert tortoise lives
in the deserts of southern California to southern Nevada,
western Arizona, and northern Mexico. It spends about 95 percent
of its life in burrows that allow escape from heat or cold.
Listed as threatened, the desert tortoise population has
decreased by 90% since the 1980s due to vandalism, predation,
disease, and collection for pets (now illegal). Habitat loss
from mining, livestock grazing, off- road vehicles, and
development are also major factors threatening this ancient
animal. Another problem is that females do not breed until they
are 15 to 20 years old, and then may lay eggs only when adequate
forage is available. Only 2- 3 percent of hatched tortoises live
to adulthood. Natural predators of the desert tortoise include
ravens, gila monsters, kit foxes, badgers, roadrunners, coyotes,
and fire ants. They prey on eggs, juveniles (with a thin,
delicate shell), and sometimes adults