Page 5 - Summer 2013 magazine

Well it’s still technically spring, even though it is
100 degrees outside. The tortoises are cleaning their
plates every Wednesday and Saturday and devour-

ing the plants in their habitat. Hugo, the former city-
dwelling tortoise, has adjusted well to the natural
desert landscaping in his habitat. One week, there
was a four-foot tall globe mallow plant in his habi-
tat. The next week it was gone, not even a twig or a
root to be found.

Maxine’s Eggs
Photo by Bob Andrews
Maxine surprised us by laying sixteen eggs on May
Sue Kolar
Sue Kolar
25. She has laid eggs every year since 2010, but al-
ways in June. Apparently she could tell it was going
to get very hot very soon. She spent two hours dig-
ging a hole large enough to fit all the eggs. The visi-

tors could hear her grunting from the effort. The hole
was so enormous she almost fell in. After she laid
the eggs she covered the hole so well it was difficult
to find.
Hugo knows that eating dessert first is always a good idea.
Photo by Sue Kolar

Sue Kolar
Amelia Savage and Carla

Wise, both BLM Wildlife
Biologists, removed the eggs
a few days after Maxine laid
them. The eggs were taken to
the Desert Tortoise Conser-
vation Center (DTCC) to

hatch for possible later re-
lease into the desert.
(Continued on page 14)
Amelia and Carla gather Maxine’s eggs for safe hatching at the DTCC
Photo by Bob Andrews Page 5