These birds have declined in some areas where sagebrush has been removed but are still common where suitable habitat remains.
Even in southern Africa, some birds may stay after breeding if enough usable habitat remains.
In many waterways fish are crowding into what little suitable habitat remains, including irrigation ditches, where, when the water is released for irrigation, they often die.
However, the habitats of more seropositive populations had more remains of dead tortoises.
Less than 1 percent of original plains habitat remains.
The type locality is located in the El Tamá National Park where some suitable habitat still remains.
The natural habitat of this species remains, for the most part, untouched by human activity, although a radio repeater tower and a small building are present near the summit.
Foreign spiders have colonised areas where suitable habitat remains.
Though unconfirmed sightings were in 1965, 1972, 1989, 1995 and 2003 there is a weak hope for a rediscovery because suitable habitat still remains.
Nonetheless, it occupies a large range and wherever sufficient habitat remains it is often not particularly uncommon.