05/18/2025
There are many firsts to be had while out exploring the desert. This was up there on the highly surprising list: a desert tortoise in the back of a mine with no light, multiple droppings and pointed against a wall on low power mode.
After considering for a bit and seeing so many dead animals in mines that couldn't find their way out I decided to remove it from the mine as the weather is warming up and it would not even get that warmer weather should it stay in there.
There was no fight from the tortoise and no urination and when it got into the sun it did perk up and even started walking towards us.
If anybody knows tortoise behavior and physiology, would it have ever made it back out of the mine?
It pinned itself against the wall of the mine and had many bowel movements in the same spot.