species. These tortoises, known as the Appleton tortoises in commemoration of Ariel Appleton, a champion of Bolson tortoise conservation, were originally brought to Arizona from Durango, Mexico by Dr. David Morafka in 1973. Four tortoises from the Appleton population were established at the Living Desert Museum in Carlsbad, New Mexico. Both locations have active breeding programs in place. Rewilding The Bolson tortoise was recently brought to the world's attention when, in August 2005 an, article on Pleistocene rewilding appeared in the journal Nature (Donlan, et al., 2005) proposing that megafauna that became extinct in North America at the close of the Pleistocene (~12,800 years ago) be reintroduced to the continent to create a Pleistocene Park. The Bolson tortoise was the first species proposed for this restoration effort. The tortoise is unique in that, unlike mammoths, sabre-toothed cats and giant ground sloths, it is not extinct. The Turner Endangered Species Fund, who re-introduced the tortoise to New Mexico, has made it clear that the restoration of the tortoise to the Southwest is an endangered species recovery project and not a rewilding project, although elements of rewilding exist. References Listed as Vulnerable (VU A1d, B1+2bc, C1 v2.3) External links Bolson Tortoise Fauna of the Chihuahuan Desert Reptiles of the United States Fauna of the Southwestern United States Reptiles of Mexico Species endangered by the pet trade Reptiles described in 1959 Reptiles as pets