St. George turtles getting colds, flu

ST. GEORGE (AP) — It's cold and flu season on southern Utah's Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, only it's not people who are sick — it's the tortoises.

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources biologist Ann McLuckie says a recent survey of the animals found several of the desert creatures suffering clinical signs of the diseases, including runny noses and loose skin.

McLuckie says the disease made a significant appearance on the 62,000-acre reserve in 2002. She says drought or fire can result in less food for tortoises and make them more susceptible to disease.

The disease appears only to affect adult tortoises and could be transmitted during mating when the normally solitary animals engage in rituals that include touching their bobbing heads