Mojave National Preserve officials are continuing their efforts to protect endangered desert tortoises from vehicles with the installation of dozens of miles of roadside "tortoise fencing" in tortoise habitats, officials announced Friday.
The 2-foot-tall metal fencing has already been put in place along portions of Cima Road, according to the Preserve.
"The Preserve plans to install over dozens of more miles of this fencing on roads that intersect prime tortoise habitat," representatives said in a written statement .
Although they spend roughly 95% of their lives in underground burrows, desert tortoises can sometimes be spotted eating wildflowers, drinking from puddles or looking for potential mates, officials said.
All too often, the tortoises are crushed and killed under the tires of vehicles, Preserve Superintendent Ray McPadden said.
"Roadkill should be a thing of the past. We want desert tortoises to thrive in Mojave National Preserve," he said. "Our team is making a huge investment in tortoise survival through these projects, and we’ll continue to be leaders in on-the-ground conservation of this keystone species."
Desert tortoises face a threat from above in the Mojave National Preserve
Meanwhile, work also continued to mitigate the threat posed to desert tortoise populations by growing numbers of ravens.
As populations of the birds continue thriving in the Mojave Desert, they pose an increasing threat to young desert tortoises with still-developing shells that are not hard enough to fend off the attacks, according to Preserve officials.
To combat the problem, officials have been working to remove old utility poles from the desert that provide ideal nesting spots and perches for ravens.
"These utility poles date back to the 1940’s and their removal is a triumph to returning the desert landscape to its natural scenic beauty," according to the Preserve statement.
The reptiles don’t reach sexual maturity until between 12 and 20 years of age, according to California Department of Fish and Wildlife Senior Environmental Scientist Anne Hilborn. Even then, females generally lay only six to 12 eggs each year.
Desert tortoises face a wide variety of threats and challenges, Preserve Wildlife Biologist Neal Darby said.
“Mojave National Preserve has addressed most, but the science community believes tortoise exclusion fencing and removal of raven subsidies could be the primary management actions that will provide the best protection," he said.
The Mojave National Preserve is preparing to mark it's 30th birthday on Oct. 31, the anniversary its creation through the California Desert Protection Act of 1994 .
Other efforts to protect desert tortoises
A judge earlier this week sided with the tortoises, and environmental activists, in ruling that federal officials violated environmental protection laws when it designated 6,000 miles of dirt roads in the Mojave Desert for off-road vehicle use in 2019.
More: Federal judge rules off-road plan illegal, environmentalists see victory for desert tortoise
A case management conference was scheduled for Nov. 22 to discuss "further proceedings regarding the remedy," according to the judges order .
The desert tortoise was granted California "endangered species" status by the California Fish and Game Commission in April following three decades of declining numbers. The species had previously been listed as "threatened" in the state since 1989, and federally since 1990.
Tortoises in the western Mojave Desert have been hardest hit, according to state wildlife officials. Researchers found a 54% reduction in the number of animals there between 2001 and 2020, representing the loss of 112,000 adult animals.
More: Mojave desert tortoise named a California endangered species
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Fencing installed to protect endangered Mojave Desert tortoises from vehicles
Local News
