Objective: The objectives of this project are to demonstrate and validate the use of “dogs trained to find desert tortoises” (DTK9) and to develop and test a formal certification program that will be recognized by federal and state permitting agencies. Validation of this technology will involve (1) demonstrating that dogs are effective at finding juvenile tortoises under typical environmental conditions, with typical juvenile tortoise densities, and in typical juvenile tortoise locations; (2) assessing effects that seasonality may have on detectability; (3) demonstrating DTK9 survey efficacy under extreme high and low tortoise densities; (4) developing wildlife detection dog standards and a certification program recognized by the permitting agencies, the military, and other land managers; (5) quantifying deployment guidelines for surveying juvenile tortoises; and (6) demonstrating that the standards and certification program will yield effective, reliable, and safe DTK9s. Technology Description: Dogs used to locate both male and female desert tortoises of all sizes are trained to recognize scents unique to the species, and pilot research conducted by the project team has found that DTK9s are effective, reliable, and safe at surveying desert tortoises. Additional evidence suggests that these dogs are capable of locating desert tortoises as small as 30 millimeters and, if used, could fill a significant gap in the desert tortoise knowledge base. Successful deployment requires that dogs and handlers complete specific training and meet rigorous standards to ensure the safety of desert tortoises. This project is focused on further demonstration and validation of this technology under a variety of conditions and on refining the formal DTK9 certification program. Expected Benefits: Current conservation practices and compliance measures for the federally threatened desert tortoise require exorbitant costs in terms of dollars, time, and resources. They also have the potential to impact military training and testing. Employing DTK9s will reduce the number of trained professionals needed to conduct desert tortoise surveys and, as a result, relieve much of the monetary and staffing burdens experienced by the military under previous survey practices. Furthermore, previous survey practices were unable to collect data on desert tortoises smaller than 180 millimeters because trained professionals cannot consistently and reliably find them. DTK9s can assist in collecting that data and, in so doing, enable accurate and complete population estimates, life tables, and demographic analyses needed to practice sound desert tortoise conservation. (Anticipated Project Completion - 2008) Principal Investigators: Dr. Russell Harmon Army Research Laboratory Environmental Sciences Division P.O. Box 12211 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 Telephone: (919) 549-4326 Fax: (919) 549-4310 E-mail: russell.harmon@us.army.mil Dr. Mary Cablk Desert Research Institute Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences 2215 Raggio Parkway Reno, NV 89512 Telephone: (775) 673-7371 Fax: (775) 673-7485 E-mail: Mary.Cablk@dri.edu | 
