Project Details

The Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) occupies the Mojave Desert regions of Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and California. This species is federally protected under the Endangered Species Act (USFWS, 1990). Desert tortoises are among the 4 reptile species listed in the 2015 Utah Wildlife Action Plan as species of greatest conservation need (SGCN). Desert tortoises have one of the most critical conservation rankings compared to other herpetological native species in the state of Utah, with a State Ranking of S2 (i.e., "imperiled").  While the global status of G. agassizii is G3 (vulnerable), the desert tortoise is listed as S2 in all states within its native range. This points to a significant disconnect between their global and provincial rankings. It should be noted that the last global status review of G. agassizii was conducted some time ago, on 9/6/2013 (Natureserve, 2022).
To be returned to the Utah Landscape a desert tortoise must be:
-          	From within the state of Utah
-          	Taken from the wild
-          	Free of communicable infections
-          	In satisfactory overall physical health
URTD is a serious infection caused by Mycoplasma agassizii that has been well recorded in desert tortoise populations for over 20 years (FWS 1990). This disease is easily spread within populations and great caution should be taken when relocating or returning desert tortoises that may have been exposed to URTD. Traditionally, antibody tests have been used to detect URTD. However, recent studies indicate that positive antibody tests are not a clear indicator of active disease, and positive antibody results are not invariably linked to mortality (Sandmeier, 2009). Additionally, individual animals tested concomitantly for Mycoplasma agassizii antibodies and the presence of Mycoplasma agassizii DNA may not test positive for both (Goessling et al., 2019). 
While TeHV-2 associated mortality is not well studied in wild populations, it has been documented to result in significant mortality rates in captive tortoises (Johnson et al, 2005). A primer set for TeHV-2 has been developed and validated in recent years (Braun et al., 2014). Primer sequence data has been made publically available for replication (Braun et al., 2014) (Attachment 1). The molecular diagnostics laboratory at The San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research currently has a pipeline in place for receiving and processing samples from other institutions.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) also recently released an updated handbook to health assessment procedures for the Mojave desert tortoise (Averill-Murray et al., 2019). This handbook was an effort between the USFWS Desert Tortoise Recovery Office, the Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital, and the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research. This new guideline lists a health triage protocol for physical examination that is to be implemented alongside laboratory testing (attachment #2).
The current translocation plan recommends rigorous visual screening prior to relocation. By comparing laboratory disease screening with the results of visual examinations we will be able to assess the accuracy of visual health screenings and improvements that could be made upon the current plan to detect active disease.  
By connecting individual health information with the population or origin we will be able to: 
â	Determine the origin of tortoises in the desert tortoise adoption program
â	Identify populations that may be at risk or infected with communicable diseases  
â	Quantify the number of Utah born vs out of state tortoises found outside of the species range and turned in to UDWR 
â	Add actionable context to the disease screening data obtained in project #6647
This project will collaborate with the Kepas lab and the Klabacka lab at Utah Tech University.

Provide evidence about the nature of the problem and the need to address it. Identify the significance of the problem using a variety of data sources. For example, if a habitat restoration project is being proposed to benefit greater sage-grouse, describe the existing plant community characteristics that limit habitat value for greater sage-grouse and identify the changes needed for habitat improvement.

Provide an overall goal for the project and then provide clear, specific and measurable objectives (outcomes) to be accomplished by the proposed actions. If possible, tie to one or more of the public benefits UWRI is providing.

LOCATION: Justify the proposed location of this project over other areas, include publicly scrutinized planning/recovery documents that list this area as a priority, remote sensing modeling that show this area is a good candidate for restoration, wildlife migration information and other data that help justify this project's location.

TIMING: Justify why this project should be implemented at this time. For example, Is the project area at risk of crossing an ecological or other threshold wherein future restoration would become more difficult, cost prohibitive, or even impossible.

Desert tortoises are currently assigned an S-rank of S2 (imperiled) in the state of Utah and all surrounding states that overlap with its range. There is no indication that this S-rank value will change in the upcoming Wildlife Action Plan 2025 revision. G. agassizii are found in the southwest corner of Utah, where rapid urban expansion is underway. This recent expansion may account for the increased number of desert tortoises found and surrendered to the state in recent years. The state and its partners are currently holding desert tortoises in multiple locations. While the desert tortoise program does function to remove some of these captive tortoises from holding facilities, there are currently many captive tortoises displaced throughout the state. The ultimate goal for animals that are turned in is release.
 By validating our visual health assessment with clear diagnoses through URTD and TeHV-2 testing, we will be able to accurately assess the efficacy of current protocols and determine the origin of infected and healthy tortoises. Potentially leading to informed release of healthy individuals currently in captivity and alerting management agencies of populations that may be experiencing declines due to infectious disease.

List management plans where this project will address an objective or strategy in the plan. Describe how the project area overlaps the objective or strategy in the plan and the relevance of the project to the successful implementation of those plans. It is best to provide this information in a list format with the description immediately following the plan objective or strategy.

If applicable, detail how the proposed project will significantly reduce the risk of fuel loading and/or continuity of hazardous fuels including the use of fire-wise species in re-seeding operations. Describe the value of any features being protected by reducing the risk of fire. Values may include; communities at risk, permanent infrastructure, municipal watersheds, campgrounds, critical wildlife habitat, etc. Include the size of the area where fuels are being reduced and the distance from the feature(s) at risk.

Describe how the project has the potential to improve water quality and/or increase water quantity, both over the short and long term. Address run-off, erosion, soil infiltration, and flooding, if applicable.

Description of efforts, both completed and planned, to bring the proposed action into compliance with any and all cultural resource, NEPA, ESA, etc. requirements. If compliance is not required enter "not applicable" and explain why not it is not required.

Objective -- Determine population origin of captive desert tortoises
Task 1 -- Isolate DNA from blood already extracted from 30 captive tortoises. We will perform DNA isolations using a Qiagen DNEasy spin kit.
Task 2 -- Amplify variable genetic regions (microsatellites) using PCR. Microsatellites are highly variable regions within the genomes of most organisms that can be used for examination of variation within a species. We will perform amplification of 15 microsatellites using DNA primers that were previously created specifically for tortoise genomes (Edwards et al., 2003; Schwartz et al., Edwards et al., 2011; Schwartz et al., 2003).
Task 3 -- Identify genetic variants using microsatellite quantification. Amplified microsatellites (from Task 2) will be sent to the Arizona Molecular Clinical Core, where the sequence length of the microsatellites will be quantified via capillary electrophoresis.
Task 4 -- Determine population assignments for each tortoise. In collaboration with Dr. Taylor Edwards, the Clinical Laboratory manager at the Arizona Molecular Clinical Core, we will run the results from Task 3 through an extensive genetic database for desert tortoises that has been created and curated from tortoise populations in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah for over 20 years. Microsatellites will be used to make genetic population assignments for each individual tortoise.

Describe the actions, activities, tasks to be implemented as part of the proposed project; how these activities will be carried out, equipment to be used, when, and by whom.

Describe plans to monitor for project success and achievement of stated objectives. Include details on type of monitoring (vegetation, wildlife, etc.), schedule, assignments and how the results of these monitoring efforts will be reported and/or uploaded to this project page. If needed, upload detailed plans in the "attachments" section.

List any and all partners (agencies, organizations, NGO's, private landowners) that support the proposal and/or have been contacted and included in the planning and design of the proposed project. Describe efforts to gather input and include these agencies, landowners, permitees, sportsman groups, researchers, etc. that may be interested/affected by the proposed project. Partners do not have to provide funding or in-kind services to a project to be listed.

Detail future methods or techniques (including administrative actions) that will be implemented to help in accomplishing the stated objectives and to insure the long term success/stability of the proposed project. This may include: post-treatment grazing rest and/or management plans/changes, wildlife herd/species management plan changes, ranch plans, conservation easements or other permanent protection plans, resource management plans, forest plans, etc.

Potential for the proposed action to improve quality or quantity of sustainable uses such as grazing, timber harvest, biomass utilization, recreation, etc. Grazing improvements may include actions to improve forage availability and/or distribution of livestock.