Page 14 - Spring 2018 issue v1

14 Friends oF red rock canyon Friends oF red rock canyon 15
This Land is Your Land (Continued from page 13)

By Sue & Roger Kolar

t has been a warm winter with a sudden cold As volunteers, we have the opportunity to talk
I snap in February that has continued into to many visitors about tortoise care. Often people
March. Some of the tortoises are usually out by ask us questions care because they have a tortoise
early February, but not this year. We’re hoping it in their backyard. We can talk about feeding,
warms up soon and we can start feeding and soak- soaking and medical care. The current display in
Charles Aganon, from the Philippines, now Clara Villarreal, from Mexico, is most Yuan qiang, a former teacher in China, the Visitor Center is about the tortoise habitat and
joins his wife, Shereal, and daughter as excited about being able to vote now. shares her special day with husband ing them again.
U.S. citizens. Charles Lunn. “This opens up a whole new includes a poster about staying healthy. Be sure to
life,” she marvels. You may remember that the Bureau of Land enjoy the display before it comes down the first
Management adopted two new tortoises for the weekend of May.
American flags to all the new citizens. “They are U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto shared habitat last July; Roxie, about four years old and
far more than cloth,” he told them. The red stripes her story too. “We are all descendants of immi- Desert Rose (Rosie), about 30 years old. Both
represent the blood spilled by generations of grants. One of my grandfathers was from Italy and September, a volunteer noticed that Rosie’s nose S
came from a backyard that had 40 tortoises. In
patriots, the white represents the tears of those the other from Mexico. I think about that (every taying H ealthy
who lost loved ones in wars and the stars unify the time) I walk into the Senate,” she said. was whistling. This led to a veterinarian visit and Looking good is not
50 states. an X-ray that showed a huge bladder stone and enough: tortoises need
regular veterinary
Red Rock Canyon was very much on Cortez shallow lungs. Rosie received antibiotics and in care to stay healthy.
As the sounds of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless Masto’s mind as she spoke to the new citizens, January, she was healthy enough to have surgery
the USA” blared across the Visitor Center, sharing stories of hiking and camping when she to remove the stone. Unfortunately, we found out
every new citizen in unison waved the flags from was as young as five years old with her Mexican- too late that Rosie had advanced liver disease and
upraised arms while proudly clutching certificates American grandfather. “Now, the same Red Rock may have been much older than we thought. She
attesting to their new status. Canyon belongs to each of you,” she said. passed away on February 1st.
Volunteers dedicated to the preservation of Red Rock Canyon
Desert tortoises can
“I was exactly in your shoes in 2004,” U.S. Judge Gordon concluded the ceremonies We learned so develop bladder stones.
Congressman Ruben Kihuen, whose family connecting Red Rock to the lyrics of folk singer much from Rosie; The large circle in this
x-ray is a bladder stone
emigrated from Mexico, told the assemblage. “My Woody Guthrie, who sang “This land is your land. she was a very intel- that developed over
parents wanted a piece of the land of opportuni- This land is my land. From California to the New ligent, dare we say many years.
Veterinarians can
ty… They came with less than a hundred dollars in York Island.” “cheerful” tortoise. surgically remove bladder stones, but it is Friends of Red Rock Canyon provide
their pockets and no job or place to live.” And now We believe that tor- much easier if the stone is small. Regular regular medical check-ups as well as
their son is serving in the U.S. Congress, he said. “As a citizen, this land truly now is your land.” toises get smarter as check-ups ensure that any problems are routine weight and size monitoring for
the Rock Stars.
caught early.
“Let that sink in.” they get older! Most
people don’t know Libby laid nine eggs the day after this x-ray was taken.
that veterinarians In the spring, desert tortoises dig a hole and can lay up
have made incred- to 16 eggs.
They carefully cover
ible advances in tortoise health care and surgery in the nest with dirt. If
you see a tortoise dig-
the past few years. Male and female tortoises can ging a hole with her
be sterilized now, so a backyard with 40 tortoises rear legs, she is prob-
ably getting ready to
can be prevented. Early and regular exams can de- lay eggs. The eggs are
tect problems while they are easily treatable. Lucie the size of a ping pong
ball and take about
and Betty both had small bladder stones removed three months to hatch.
in 2016 and they are doing well. Since 2016, all
the tortoises in the habitat have been examined by If you’d like to join the Tort Team, we’re hav-
a veterinarian and are healthy. Thanks for all of ing training sessions in April, June and August.
your donations to the Friends of Red Rock Email us at torts@friendsofredrockcanyon.org for
Congressman Ruben Kihuen and Senator Carole Schoengold (l) welcomes new Proud new citizen with her certificate more information.
Catherine Cortez Masto citizens with a Friends membership Canyon Tortoise Medical Fund.

the Rock - Volume 8 Issue 3 Spring 2018