Generally, tortoises do not swim, according to Andy C. Highfield, author of the Tortoise Trust Guide to Tortoises and Turtles. In the case of commonly kept pet species, "deep water is a serious hazard ...
Spotting a Mojave Desert tortoise is increasingly difficult in the American Southwest. The tortoises, with their unmistakable domed patterned shells, live in California, parts of Nevada, Arizona and ...