Desert Tortoise
by Anthony Citro
Title
Desert Tortoise
Artist
Anthony Citro
Medium
Photograph - Digital Phototgraph
Description
These guys are highly adapted to live for months in the extreme heat of the Arizona wilds with not a drop of water. They store all of the moisture they need in their specialized bladder, to reduce water loss through excessive urination. Although it may be tempting to interact or even pick up a wild desert tortoise, this could potentially be a death sentence for this protected species. As a deterrent to predators, the Sonoran desert tortoise will urinate when handled or threatened and if the tortoise cannot manage to find water shortly thereafter, they could potentially perish in the unforgiving desert environment. So they, like most wild creatures, are best observed from a distance to protect the species for future generations to both experience and enjoy. 🐢🌵
Uploaded
July 28th, 2018
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