TURNER CONSERVATION TRUST CO WILMINGTON

Bolson tortoiseto prevent the extinction of bolson tortoises in the wild, we are working to establish free-ranging populations on theladder and armendaris ranches in new mexico. These ranches lie at the northern tip of the species' prehistoric range. The largest and rarest of the six north american tortoise species, the bolson tortoise once ranged throughout most of the chihuahuan desert, but its current range comprises only a small area in north central mexico where the states of durango, chihuahua, and coahuila meet. We aim to establish free-ranging, minimally managed, wild bolson tortoise populations in the northern chihuahuan desert. During the next 20 years, we will use captive breeding to produce juveniles to build a large captive population of bolson tortoises. Population decline, and range contraction are due to collection for food as well as habitat loss. Additional detailed information is available upon request.