INTRO:
Desert tortoises in California could become an endangered species after five years of relentless drought, which scientists believe has been brought on by climate change.
While the drought has subsided, scientists say it's caused the worst conditions for more than a thousand years... and animals in the desert will take many decades to recover. Frances Read reports from California.
IN: "As the sun…
OUT: California."
DUR: 1,56"
http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0612Tortoise-fr-gen.mp3
PKG:
VO1: As the sun rises in California's Sonoran Desert, it means it's time to rise and shine for the wild tortoises that live here. Early morning is their only chance to feed before the intense summer heat becomes too much.. They may be one of the slowest moving creatures on the planet - but the battle for their survival is a race against time.
NATSOUND: "3025 grammes."
VO2: Teams of scientists are trying to make sure these threatened animals don't become endangered. They outfit the tortoises with special tracking equipment and then keep a close eye on their health. Jeff Lovich is with the US Geological survey.
"This allows us to track the animal on a particular frequency that's unique to her. And then we can catch her every ten days or so from April through July and we can take X-radiographs of her to determine her reproductive output."
VO3: But by monitoring them - scientists can see if populations begin to recover.
"Tortoises in general have been around for about 225 million years. They outlived the dinosaurs, in fact they were 75 per cent through their evolutionary history to date when dinosaurs became extinct. They are the ultimate success story and it would be a tragic world if we had a world without turtles."
VO4: Back in the 1980s, there were some 30 thousand tortoises living here. Today, there are only about three thousand. And it's not just tortoises that are struggling. If current trends continue scientists say 90 per cent of some species' habitats could disappear entirely. Michael Vamstad is a wildlife ecologist in California's Joshua Tree National Park.
"Desert tortoises are an indicator of other species we've also seen affected by these droughts so we've seen reductions in Golden Eagles, we've seen reductions in desert cottontail rabbits and even lizards out there."
VO5: The heat in this desert spares no one. But while slow and steady may win the race, climate change is a battle these animals are losing fast. Frances Read, California.
Desert tortoises in California could become an endangered species after five years of relentless drought, which scientists believe has been brought on by climate change.
While the drought has subsided, scientists say it's caused the worst conditions for more than a thousand years... and animals in the desert will take many decades to recover. Frances Read reports from California.
IN: "As the sun…
OUT: California."
DUR: 1,56"
http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0612Tortoise-fr-gen.mp3
PKG:
VO1: As the sun rises in California's Sonoran Desert, it means it's time to rise and shine for the wild tortoises that live here. Early morning is their only chance to feed before the intense summer heat becomes too much.. They may be one of the slowest moving creatures on the planet - but the battle for their survival is a race against time.
NATSOUND: "3025 grammes."
VO2: Teams of scientists are trying to make sure these threatened animals don't become endangered. They outfit the tortoises with special tracking equipment and then keep a close eye on their health. Jeff Lovich is with the US Geological survey.
"This allows us to track the animal on a particular frequency that's unique to her. And then we can catch her every ten days or so from April through July and we can take X-radiographs of her to determine her reproductive output."
VO3: But by monitoring them - scientists can see if populations begin to recover.
"Tortoises in general have been around for about 225 million years. They outlived the dinosaurs, in fact they were 75 per cent through their evolutionary history to date when dinosaurs became extinct. They are the ultimate success story and it would be a tragic world if we had a world without turtles."
VO4: Back in the 1980s, there were some 30 thousand tortoises living here. Today, there are only about three thousand. And it's not just tortoises that are struggling. If current trends continue scientists say 90 per cent of some species' habitats could disappear entirely. Michael Vamstad is a wildlife ecologist in California's Joshua Tree National Park.
"Desert tortoises are an indicator of other species we've also seen affected by these droughts so we've seen reductions in Golden Eagles, we've seen reductions in desert cottontail rabbits and even lizards out there."
VO5: The heat in this desert spares no one. But while slow and steady may win the race, climate change is a battle these animals are losing fast. Frances Read, California.