Sonoran desert tortoise
A species of Gopher tortoises Scientific name : Gopherus morafkai Genus : Gopher tortoises
Sonoran desert tortoise, A species of Gopher tortoises
Scientific name: Gopherus morafkai
Genus: Gopher tortoises
Content
Description General Info
Photo By maybethpinto , used under CC-BY-NC-4.0 /Cropped and compressed from original 
Description
The desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii and Gopherus morafkai ) are two species of tortoise native to the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico and the Sinaloan thornscrub of northwestern Mexico. G. agassizii is distributed in western Arizona, southeastern California, southern Nevada, and southwestern Utah. The specific name agassizii is in honor of Swiss-American zoologist Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz. Recently, on
General Info
Lifespan
50-100 years
Diet
Sonoran desert tortoise feeds primarily on herbivorous diet consisting of grasses, cacti, and wildflowers. Their food selection is influenced by availability, primarily consuming plants with high water content during parched periods.
Appearance
Sonoran desert tortoise is a medium-sized tortoise with a distinctive, dome-shaped shell. Its skin and shell are predominantly a sandy or golden color, camouflaging it within its desert environment. Dull yet prominent growth rings cover the shell, making each scute distinct. Sonoran desert tortoise lacks any other significant features such as a tail or horns. There's no striking difference in physical appearance among different age groups, genders, or subspecies.
Behavior
Sonoran desert tortoise is a diurnal, largely solitary species. It spends the majority of its time in self-dug burrows, emerging to forage primarily on grasses and herbs. Sonoran desert tortoise marks and fiercely defends its territory. This species adapts to extreme desert temperatures via estivation and hibernation within its burrows.
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Reptiles Order
Testudines Family
Tortoises Genus
Gopher tortoises Species
Sonoran desert tortoise 
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