Sonoran desert tortoise

The Sonoran desert tortoise is a long-lived, slow-moving herbivore that can live for decades and is an iconic part of the desert around Cave Creek. It is protected across Arizona and has been since 1988. It is illegal to harass, harm, capture, or collect a wild desert tortoise, or to take one home.

If you see a wild tortoise, leave it alone and keep dogs away, since dogs can seriously injure them. Do not pick one up unless it is in immediate danger, such as in a road: a frightened tortoise may empty its bladder, and losing that stored water can be deadly in the desert heat. If you must move one out of danger, keep it low to the ground and move it a short distance in the same direction it was already heading, then let it go.

Captive desert tortoises that were legally obtained cannot be released back into the wild because of disease risk, and Arizona limits how many a household may keep. The Arizona Game and Fish Department runs a tortoise adoption program for surrendered captives. For any tortoise question, contact AZGFD rather than acting on your own.

Safety and coexistence

• Never pick up, relocate, or keep a wild desert tortoise; it is protected by law
• Keep dogs away; they can seriously injure a tortoise
• Only move one in immediate danger (like a road), low to the ground, in the direction it was heading
• Do not release a captive tortoise into the wild; contact AZGFD about adoption or questions