Sonoran Desert Tortoise

An Agassiz's desert tortoise in a wind energy facility near Palm Springs, California. USGS scientists have been studying the ecology of tortoises at this industrial site since the mid-1990s to learn more about the effects of utility-scale renewable energy development and operation on these threatened tortoises. This radioed tortoise was first captured in 1997 and has been monitored periodically ever since to collect data on reproductive output and habitat use.