The Desert Tortoise Recovery Program works to provide effective and coordinated recovery, research, and monitoring activities for the Mojave Desert Tortoise; provide a sound and defensible scientific basis for decision-making; assess the benefits of recovery actions; provide information and syntheses; facilitate communication of progress toward, and maintain an open dialogue regarding, desert tortoise recovery goals; and provide greater credibility and support for recovery efforts.

Our Library

Browse recovery-related documents, reports, and guidance in our library (click the "View Our Library" button below to see all documents and collections).

2011 Revised Recovery Plan for the Mojave Desert Tortoise
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2011 Revised Recovery Plan for the Mojave Desert Tortoise
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2022 Mojave Desert Tortoise Five-Year Review
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2022 Mojave Desert Tortoise Five-Year Review
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Projects and Research

Range-wide Monitoring

Range-wide monitoring is important to evaluate progress toward achieving recovery criteria outlined in the recovery plan. Monitoring has been conducted almost every year since 2001 within Tortoise Conservation Areas in California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah.

Raven Management

Desert tortoises face a growing threat from increased populations of ravens in their habitat. Numerous partners have been experimenting with different strategies to reduce common raven predation on the desert tortoise.

Translocation and Population Augmentation

Translocation (the movement of an animal from one location to another) can be used to augment or re-establish locally depleted or extirpated populations in conjunction with elevated threat management, habitat restoration, and/or directed research on the factors affecting success.

Our Species