Biologists in southern Utah are surveying the damage left by a wildfire that scorched large swaths of land set aside for rare tortoise habitat in southern Utah.
The Spectrum reports that on a recent day in late August, they fanned out on a landscape that looked like the surface of Mars in search of reptile remains. Some of the creatures managed to survive, but those who remain could struggle to find food and shelter in the burned out landscape. Authorities say the wildfire that scorched the area was caused by fireworks in July. It make take years to assess its full impact.