Status of Translocated Tortoises in Southwest Utah

2. Melinda Bennion, Camille Burrus, Kody Callister,
Christian Edwards, Brianna Johnson, Clayton Martinez,
Justin Neighbor, Jason Pietrzak, Mark Ratchford,
Skye Salganek, Martin Schijf, Sarah Siefken, Shawn
Smith, Janice Stroud-Settle, Kevin Wheeler,
Eric Woodhouse, Joe Zant

3. Zone 3
Zone 1
Zone 2 Zone 4
Z5

12. 0
20
40
60
80
100
120
5
107
35
28
42
65
34
18
28
18 16 16
4
20
13
9
4 6 8 9
NumberofTortoises

13. 309 Adult Tortoises (180-314 mm)
173 juvenile tortoises (38-179 mm)
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
NumberObserved
Carapace Length (mm)
Males Females

15. Photo by John Kellam
Determine success of translocation program:
 Spatial distribution of tortoises & sign
 Pop structure, sex ratio, growth, movement
 Density, abundance, survival, mortality, disease
 Compare to adjacent tortoise populations

16. Photo by John Kellam
Determine success of translocation program:
 Spatial distribution of tortoises & sign
 Pop structure, sex ratio, growth, movement
 Density, abundance, survival, mortality, disease
 Compare to adjacent tortoise populations

19. Survey Year Transects Km
Surveyed
Tortoises
Observed
0 1987-91 25 42.6 0
1
2003 45 44.1 17
2005 22 42.2 19
2007 34 61.5 13
2009 24 27.9 13
2
2013 17 46.3 15
2015 16 41.8 11
3 2017 30 85.7 45

22. 0
5
10
15
20
25
1987-91 2003-09 2013-15 2017
Density(tortoises/sqkm)
Survey Year
Density in Management Zone 4

23. 0
5
10
15
20
25
1987-91 2003-09 2013-15 2017
Density(tortoises/sqkm)
Survey Period
Density in Management Zone 4

24. 0
100
200
300
400
500
600
1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017
AdultTortoiseAbundance(CL>180mm)
Cumulative Total Annual Estimate

25. 5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
1999 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017
Density(tortoise/sqkm)
Monitoring Year

27. 40 Tortoises Observed
6 juveniles: 30 adults
15 ♂: 15 ♀
URTD signs 3/35 (8.6%)
24 previously marked
20 translocated
Mean=11.13 ± 2.38 yr
Range=0.85 to 19.44 yrs

29. 0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Male Female Juvenile
Growth(mm/yr)
Translocated Reserve
(Long term growth, Medica et al. 2012)

30. 0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
Z4 (T) Z4(N) Z 2,3,5
TotalDistanceMoved(m)
 Adult survival 0.90 (0.87-0.92)
 Mortality: 27 known deaths (26% roadkill, 18% disease, 3% shot, 3% overturned)
 Adult tortoises appear to have high site fidelity w/in Zone 4

32. In 2005, fires burned approximately 25% of
tortoise habitat within the Red Cliffs NCA

37.  Tortoise burrow encounter rate has increased
Observed 0.02 burrows per km in 1987-91 and
0.89 burrows per km from 2003 to 2017.
 Density has increased from very low (undetected) to
13.4 tortoises per sq km (95% CI: 7.5-23.9)
Density in Reserve is 19.6 tortoises per sq km
 Translocated adult tortoises had a significantly higher
growth rate than Reserve adult tortoises.
 Although movement greater for Z4 tortoises,
translocated tortoises have high site fidelity

38.  Continue to monitor tortoises in Zone 4 and across Reserve
 Continue to translocate tortoises into Zone 4
 Identify management actions (i.e., education, LE presence, signage)
to reduce preventable mortality
 Identify and evaluate future potential translocation sites w/ low density populations