Desert Tortoise

Desert Tortoise

The desert tortoise can live at dry desert washes, flats or hillsides. It is herbivore feeding just grasses, wildflowers and succulent plants. They will drink water when available, but much of their moisture comes from their diet. It Has high-domed carapaces, round, stumpy hind legs and flattened, front legs covered with large rigid scales to protect them from moisture loss, it is usually small and brownish. May be 25 to 36cm. During the summer it scape the midday heat in a shallow, crescent-shaped burrow while winter hibernation/estivation burrows can be 30ft. long and used communally.

Bibliography: http://www.livingdesert.org/desert_animals_new_sub_animal.html?id=140 and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_tortoise