Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)

No photo of the Desert Tortoise available.

The Desert Tortoise is from the order Testudines. All turtles are testudines (or Chelonia). There are more than 280 different species belonging to this order.

The Desert Tortoise was first reported by Cooper, 1863. In general members of this order are found all over the world, except for Antarctica. Turtles can range in size from just a few cms, to two metres.

The Desert Tortoise has a special bony shell developed from their ribs. The shell is called a carapace, and the underside of the carapace is called the plastron. This reptile is not agile on land, but in water it is an apt swimmers.

The Desert Tortoise is an air-breathing reptile. They need to surface to fill their lungs with air. They can remain underwater for extended periods of time.

The Desert Tortoise is found in (but not necessarily limited to) the United States of America.

 

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