The dens and behavior of the desert tortoise
Woodbury AM and Hardy R. 1940. The dens and behavior of the desert tortoise. Science. 92(2397):529
Studies of the desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii, have shown a definite behavior pattern in which the individuals tend to congregate together in winter dens during cold weather, spreading out over nearby areas during moderate weather, and descend into short individual burrows when it is too hot. The studies have been carried out on the Beaver Dam Slope in extreme southwestern Utah since 1936. The area selected was particularly favorable for the winter den concentrations, hence it is not certain at present whether this pattern is general over all its range. More than 200 tortoises have been marked for individual identification by burning the letter U into differenet plates or combinations of plates on different individuals so that each one so marked could be definitely identified. During 33 visits to the area, tortoises have been recaptured from time to time, the number of recaptures of individuals ranging from 0-11 times. The total captures of tortoises reaches nearly 500 to date.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Woodbury, A.; Hardy, R.
- Units
- SODN
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, Inventory and Monitoring (I&M), Reptilia (Reptiles)