Tortoises

Pat, the tortoise in Tom Stoppard's "Jumpers," began life here as an imported Chinese toy in an outdoor market. Spotted, purchased and delivered to the National Theatre's Paul Wanklin by his alert brother-in-law, the future theater star turned out to be not just cheap but durable. Equally important, this turtle was adaptable.

Reversing an earlier opinion, federal wildlife managers have concluded that expanding tank training at the Army's Ft. Irwin in the Mojave Desert is not likely to jeopardize desert tortoises or the last remnants of a rare plant. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service warned in 2001 that it would be almost impossible for the sprawling 643,000-acre base to expand by 118,000 acres without wiping out a population of endangered tortoises and patches of Lane Mountain milk vetch.

What could be worse than getting to the airport during rush hour? Driving to Los Angeles International Airport from just about anywhere is a nail-biting, teeth-grinding ordeal. Taxis are expensive, and airport shuttles can be cramped, uncomfortable and unpredictable. So we decided to run a little test, inspired by a reader who said he always takes the bus to LAX from his home in Los Feliz, and gets there quicker than he could by car -- all for just $2.

A volcanic eruption about 100,000 years ago in the Galapagos Islands left its mark on giant tortoises that are still plodding the planet today, according to a report in the current issue of Science. The tortoises dwell on the island of Isabela in the Galapagos and live out their days in the shadow of Alcedo Volcano. Other distinct, giant tortoises live on Isabela's other four volcanoes. But something about the Alcedo tortoises is different, reported the authors, after analyzing tortoise DNA.

Federal officials have paved the way for expanded use of off-road vehicles at the Algodones Dunes in the Mojave Desert by lifting special protection for a 50,000-acre section of the sand dunes containing rare plants and animals. The U.S.

Howard Blair has outlived two wives, endured years of searing drought and survived sudden freak storms that tossed massive boulders down the Providence Mountains toward his homestead. He lost his favorite horse to a bite from the deadly Mojave green rattlesnake. Now, he must decide whether to sell the ranch that has been in his family for generations or to stay and run the risk of financial ruin.

The cowboys on Dave Fisher's ranch have an unwelcome new chore: They are wrangling to save a reptile. In cattle roundups like none other in the West, they saddle up at daybreak and set out for hours along rocky trails that wind through miles of grazing land here in the Mojave Desert, searching for cows that may be unwittingly wiping out small indigenous tortoises.

Moving the controversial project a step closer to approval, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has concluded that a water storage and retrieval project in the Mojave Desert would not imperil the desert tortoise, a federally protected species. After reviewing plans by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the Santa Monica based-Cadiz Land Co.

SACRAMENTO Who would have thought it? Bill Simon Jr. and his guru, Sal Russo--that's about all. Certainly not Richard Riordan. Not the political pros. Not the pundits. Boy, were we wrong! Who'd have thought that political neophyte Simon would be running ahead of former two-term Los Angeles Mayor Riordan, according to the polls, on the brink of the election? Thought that somebody who had never even voted in a state primary, based on L.A. County records, would be in position to win the primary--and become the Republican nominee for governor.