How large is the largest known desert tortoise? How are tortoises measured?
The largest known captive desert tortoise in California was a male about 15 inches in length. Known as “Max”, the tortoise became the property of the California Department of Fish and Game in the 1970’s. Max finally died and has been freeze-dried for exhibits. An even larger captive tortoise is a 17.3-inch male, who lives with his proud owners in Las Vegas. Two wild desert tortoises vie for record sizes: a 14.5-inch male on the Desert Tortoise Research Natural Area, and a 15-inch female in Lucerne Valley. Tortoises are measured with calipers, instruments consisting of a pair of movable curved legs fastened together at one end. One end of the caliper is placed at the edge of the carapace (upper shell) immediately above the head and the other end is placed on the carapace edge above the tail. The straight line distance is considered the length of the shell or carapace at the midline of the body. 11. What are tortoise burrows like? Tortoise burrows vary considerably in length and type. Th
