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The
grand opening for the new Desert Tortoise Habitat at the
Clark
County
Government
Center
will take place on
July 12. A new resident will move into a newly created
home at the
Clark
County
Government
Center
. A female desert tortoise will be officially
adopted by
Clark
County
to reside in a special habitat near the cafeteria.
The name of this tortoise will also be announced that
day, as the entries of a local tortoise-naming contest
are still being evaluated.
The
Clark
County
Government
Center
was designed to reflect the natural landscapes of
Clark
County
. The naturalistic desert tortoise habitat blends
in with the existing architecture of the building.
The new habitat area will provide residents with an
opportunity to see a live desert tortoise up-close.
The predominately native vegetation will allow people to
view natural desert images. While many of these plants
are also are natural food sources for desert tortoises,
grass, dandelions, a few non-native ornamentals, and a
water dish have been included in the area to promote
health of the tortoise.
The
burrow is closed at the far end so the tortoise cannot
dig farther. However, the 7-foot burrow is long enough
to provide comfortable temperatures for the tortoise
despite extreme summer heat. Two separate temperature
sensors provide real time readings of temperature inside
and outside of the burrow.
When
you visit the new desert tortoise habitat area, you will
also notice that the glass surrounding the habitat has
been etched in the form of a mountainous landscape.
This will prevent the tortoise from either trying to
travel through the panes, or challenging its own
reflection.
Residents
of Nevada may adopt a legally acquired tortoise with the
help of Tortoise Group. Tortoises legally acquired
and held in captivity before the species became listed
under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) on August 4,
1989, may be legally kept or given to others provided
they receive proper care. Tortoise Group can also
provide the information on proper care of desert
tortoises: www.tortoisegroup.org
or (702)
739-7113.
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