Desert Tortoise Surveying and Monitoring

The desert tortoise Gopherus agassizii is a fascinating species whose existence is threatened. Starting in the classroom, Edward LaRue Jr., representing the Desert Tortoise Council, will discuss tortoise detection and occurrence in the Morongo Valley since 1989, construction monitoring, current threats to the species, and tortoise life history. Paul Delaney, biologist at Copper Mountain College (CMC), will discuss management of the CMC tortoise translocation area, and introduce participants to the remarkable variety of adaptations exhibited by tortoises in the preserve. Moving outside, the class will explore the on-campus tortoise translocation area. Participants will practice detecting tortoises, scat, tracks and burrows. This class will highlight the many unique morphological, physiological, behavioral, and ecological traits essential for tortoises to survive in the desert.

If you are a member of JTNPA/PINE you will get a $10 discount off every Desert Institute class. Please enter the registrants name exactly as it appears in our membership database. If you are not a member you can become one here. Simply add membership to the cart and choose the discounted class in the options above.

Each participant is required to bring a signed Desert-Institute-Participant-Agreement.pdf to the class. Download it here.

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