The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Monday the Morafka’s desert tortoise will not be given protections under the Endangered Species Act.
Desert tortoises in the Mojave Desert have had ESA protections since 1990; however their Sonoran Desert equivalents have not.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made the tortoise a candidate for ESA protection in 2010.
“Both species of desert tortoise are very closely adapted to their desert environments and one of them has been listed under the ESA for a long time so, we’re concerned about both and we want to make sure that the threats to one don’t also impact the other," said Taylor Jones of WildEarth Guardians.
The desert tortoise was originally considered for protection due to threats including urban development, roads, and illegal pet trade.
Thomas R. Jones is the acting non-game wildlife branch chief for the Arizona Game and Fish Department and spoke about the agency’s work with others on a Candidate Conservation Agreement for the Sonoran Desert Tortoise.