By: Mary Jo Nickum
(Ages 3-6)
I am a Mojave Desert tortoise. I am not a turtle. Turtles live in the water most of the time. I live on land.
The Mojave Desert of Utah, Nevada, and California is my home. I’ll live for about 70 years.
I was born in a nest my mother dug under a bush where the ground was warm. I broke out of my egg after about three months.
I will grow up slowly like you. I won’t have babies until I’m about 20 years old.
Many different plants are yummy for my tummy. They give me enough water so that I can wait a long time for a rainstorm to get a drink.
Most of the time, I live in a burrow that I dig. The burrow will keep me cool on hot summer days. I will be outside by 6:00 a.m. and back in my burrow by 9:00 a.m.
I will sleep in my burrow all winter. I can’t control my body temperature the way you can, but the ground will be warm enough to keep me from freezing.
You can run faster than I can. My legs are very short.
I have a brown, hard covering on my back. I can hide in it if I feel in danger.
You might see me along the road but please don’t take me home with you. I want to stay in the desert because that’s my home.
