Desert Tortoise

D

By Alyssa and Brian Wood

We've spent the last year and a half traveling from Alaska to Mexico, and along the way we visited the Tortoise Conservancy in Ojai, California. There we saw all sorts of turtles and tortoises—from "Daphne", the 400lb, 50 year old Galapagos tortoise, to hundreds of baby Desert Tortoises. We learned just how unique and fascinating these creatures are. You have to appreciate the resilience of anything that survives, and thrives, in the harsh environments of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts.

Shortly after our stop in Ojai, we were invited to participate in this series, and for us the Desert Tortoise seemed like an obvious choice. We hope these resilient creatures will be around for a long time to come.