In 1993, Answering Questions about Desert Tortoises: A Guide for People Who Work
with the Public in California (1993), by Dr. Kristin Berry, was published by the Bureau of Land
Management in California in cooperation with the California Department of Parks and Recreation. In
2002,
the Desert Tortoise Council released an updated version by Dr. Kristin Berry and Tim Duck. This
version was revised in early 2006.The report was prepared for government employees and other persons perceived by the general public
to be knowledgeable about laws and protocols. It is intended for staff in city, county, state, and
federal offices, as well as individuals in the business community. Examples of people who use the
material are law enforcement officers, animal control officers, humane society staff, wildlife rescue
experts, librarians, veterinarians, and officials of cities and towns in the desert. Members of the
turtle and tortoise clubs also dispense educational information. People in these
positions can play a major role in saving tortoise populations, especially when dealing with the
subject of captive tortoises.
Answering Questions about Desert Tortoises: A Guide for People Who Work with the Public in
California (2006) by Dr. Kristin Berry and Tim Duck is also available in pdf format as a free download
from the Desert Tortoise Council's Documents and Publications page.
Many people assisted with locating and compiling information: Judy Hohman of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Frank Hoover and Mike McBride
of the California Department of Fish and Game; Dr. Marc Graff of the California Turtle and Tortoise
Club; the Desert Tortoise Preserve Committee; and Betty Burge of the Tortoise Group in Nevada.
Additional information for the web version was provided by Ted Cordery and Jim Rorabaugh of the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service; Roy Averill-Murray of the Arizona Game and Fish Department and U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service; Ann McLuckie of the
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources; Dr. Bill Mader of Washington County, Utah; Hank McCutchen of the
National Park Service; Susan McMorris and Dr. Todd Driggers of the National Turtle and Tortoise Club;
Darlene Pond and Cheryl Darnell of the Reno Tur-Toise Club; and Dr. James Jarchow. Noël
Stevens and
Dr. Michael Connor assisted with revisions for the 2006 edition. Karen Gonzalez of the USGS did much of the html coding
in 2002; Mark Massar provided many photographs. Dr. Michael Connor prepared and posted the final html version of the document.
