The Clark County Government Center recently broke ground on a new habitat that will serve as home to a female desert tortoise.
The county also is sponsoring a naming contest for the creature, with all county residents permitted to participate. The project is meant to educate residents about the desert's natural environment.
Betty Burgle, a volunteer consultant for the habitat project -- an estimated two-month undertaking set to be completed by early July -- said the tortoise is about 13 inches long and currently lives at the Desert Tortoise Conservation Center inside the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.
"We don't know how old she is, although she's probably at least 25," Burgle said.
The habitat will be 35-by-50-square-feet, with a burrow in the center, which Burgle said is generally used for hibernating and keeping cool in summer and staying warm in winter. The burrow's tunnel will be about 9 feet long and will be about 3 feet below ground level at its deepest point.
The open-air habitat will not be covered, and will be surrounded by a wall measuring 18 inches high.
Monte Bledsoe, a contractor for Brimont Construction, the company building the habitat, said the project will include native plants, as well as grass for food.
Bledsoe said the county will eventually install video cameras in the habitat and in the tortoise's burrow, and will broadcast the footage near the habitat at the government center itself and on the county's Web site at www.co.clark.nv.us.
"You'll actually be able to see the tortoise in its natural habitat inside the burrow," he said.
Tara Carrell, an architect from Larson & Associates, helped design the habitat and said its perimeter wall will be created from red stone and will resemble the areas of the Clark County Government Center it sits closest to. The rear of the habitat, which will sit against the Government Center's glass windows, will be created using specially etched glass aimed at preventing the windows from appearing transparent or causing a reflection.
"We're trying to re-create a natural desert environment, although it will actually be living in a state-of-the-art tortoise condo," Carrell said.
Burgle said tortoises are loners by nature and are curious animals that "might try to get out if they can see out or if they think they are looking at another tortoise."
Carrell and Bledsoe said one of the most interesting aspects of the project was making sure the habitat and burrow would meet the tortoise's needs, while also being escape-proof.
"Tortoises like to dig," Carrell said. "We don't want her to start digging and come up in the middle of the amphitheater or something, so we had to create something she couldn't destroy. It's been fun, and unique, to work on."
Prior to the construction phase, Carrell said about six months of planning went into the habitat's design.
The habitat area also will include signs with information about the desert and the desert tortoise.
Burgle, Carrell and Bledsoe stressed that the desert tortoise habitat's most important role will be as an educational tool for the Las Vegas community, especially for those who rarely visit the natural desert surrounding the city.
"It will help people learn about the natural desert we live in, and it will also help people build an interest in desert tortoises," Burgle said. "They are fascinating creatures."
Carrell added, "People who are aware of desert conservation and the animals that live in the desert will be less apt to destroy those areas."
Carrell said the cost of creating the habitat will be about $92,000.
Those wishing to participate in the tortoise-naming contest can obtain applications at www.mojavemax.com and mail or deliver them to the Clark County Government Center, 500 S. Grand Central Parkway.
The winner will be selected by county commissioners and announced in July. All entries must be received by June 30.
Archived Editions| Advertising | Contact The Staff
