The desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) is a species of tortoise native to the Mojave desert and Sonoran desert of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The epithet agassizii is in honor of Swiss-American zoologist Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz.
This tortoise may attain a length of 10 to 14 inches (25 to 36 cm), with males being slightly larger than females. Male tortoises have a longer gular horn than females, their plastron (lower ...
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The desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) is a species of tortoise native to the Mojave desert and Sonoran desert of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The epithet agassizii is in honor of Swiss-American zoologist Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz.
This tortoise may attain a length of 10 to 14 inches (25 to 36 cm), with males being slightly larger than females. Male tortoises have a longer gular horn than females, their plastron (lower shell) is concave compared to female tortoises. Males have larger tails than females do. Their shells are high-domed, and greenish-tan to dark brown in color. Desert tortoises can grow from 4–6" in height and weigh 8–15 lb (4–7 kg) when fully grown. The front limbs have heavy, claw-like scales and are flattened for digging. Back legs are more stumpy and elephantine.
The tortoise is able to live where ground temperature may exceed 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) because of its ability to dig underground burrows and escape the heat....
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