Desert Tortoise
 

After twenty years of living in the desert, I think I've seen one or two desert tortoises in the wild. Today, I saw three.

Here's one of them:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dotdoubledot/2421837909/" title="Desert Tortoise II by .: sandman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3229/2421837909_8d6fdc5114.jpg" width="500" height="338" alt="Desert Tortoise II" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dotdoubledot/2422647740/" title="Desert Tortoise by .: sandman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2399/2422647740_53b16ae59e.jpg" width="500" height="338" alt="Desert Tortoise" /></a>

Nice shots!

haha... so cute

One more shot.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dotdoubledot/2424700688/" title="Desert Tortoise III by .: sandman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3143/2424700688_950cd32ab3.jpg" width="500" height="338" alt="Desert Tortoise III" /></a>

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I just want to pick it up and cuddle it.

Very nice sandman. I came across one while working and picked him before he got hurt(he was found by the side of the road, trying to cross it). By the looks of the rings atop his shell, I'd say he would be at least 30 years old.


How often do you go scouring the desert for shots, bud? Must be really fun to find a captivation in the mysterious.

Probably a mistake to pick them up. As a defensive measure, they'll void their bladder. The downside is that if it's late enough in the summer, it could potentially leave them dehydrated and they'll die.

I didn't scour far for these shots. I saw them on the side of the road. The desert is all around us here and the city is relatively small so getting out in to "the wilderness" takes little time.

Found another one yesterday:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dotdoubledot/2446398916/" title="Desert Tortoise by .: sandman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3283/2446398916_9f96285eca_b.jpg" width="1024" height="680" alt="Desert Tortoise" /></a>

I love these!!!