Common Name: Desert Tortoise
Scientific Name: Gopherus agassizii
Gender: Male
Birth Date: Approximately 1956
History: Peabody is unique among the animals at Animal Ark. He is a reptile and not a predator. He is a charming favorite of many of our young visitors. He was brought to us in the spring of 1987 by a firefighter who had helped save our home three years earlier. Apparently, Peabody had been a pet, probably with several different families. Mr. Peabody serves as an ambassador for his cousins in Southern Nevada who are threatened with extinction.

Common Name: Desert Tortoise
Scientific Name: Gopherus agassizii
Gender: Female
Birth Date: Approximately 1991
History: Jonni was given to Animal Ark by a family that felt she would have a better home here as well as being available for young children to observe and learn about. When Jonni arrived on June 10, 1993 she weighed about 40 grams and measured just 2 ½ inches from front to back. She was originally from the wild, but was later picked up by someone who saw her wandering near a city street. Tortoises are protected by the federal government and should not be removed from the wild. Desert tortoises need very specialized care, and young hatchlings even more so. Jonni has grown tremendously and in 2004 was identified as a female. It may take as long as twenty years before a tortoise reaches full maturity. In Nevada the desert tortoise is listed as a threatened species .