ARIZONA REPUBLIC (Phoenix, Arizona) 27 July 07 Tortoises become official park residents (Lars Jacoby)
The two desert tortoises living in a habitat next to the visitor center of the San Tan Mountain Regional Park have been there since May.
But last month, the nameless reptiles were thrown a den-warming party and became official park residents.
The Desert Tortoise Discovery event kicked off what is likely to be many years the mother-daughter pair will be living in their new habitat because the lifespan of a desert tortoise can stretch beyond 60 years.
"Our main intent with it is as an education program and to increase awareness about desert tortoises and their conservation," said David Jordan, park supervisor.
That education started last Saturday and continues again with Tortoise Talk on Sept. 15 when Jordan and desert tortoise experts will present a program about the animals. Their names will be revealed then.
Jordan said the park is currently holding a Name Our Tortoises contest and entries will be taken until Sept. 1.
The herbivores' habitat is 30- by 35-feet and filled with a variety of indigenous plants.
The pair was adopted from the Wildlife Center at Adobe Mountain,which operated in cooperation with the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
The center rescues wild animals and, in the case, of desert tortoises, adopts them out to anyone as long as their home meets specific requirements, including enough space for a habitat, building a proper den and providing forage.
Sandy Cate, coordinator of the wildlife center, said the program adopts out between 40 to 150 tortoises a year, could immediately place 40 more if there were enough qualified homes.
Tortoises become official park residents