Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
By: William I. Boarman
Edited by: William I. Boarman and K. Beaman
Links
- The Publications Warehouse does not have links to digital versions of this publication at this time
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
The desert tortoise is widely distributed throughout major portions of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Sonora, and Sinaloa. Genetic, morphological, ecological, and behavioral features suggest an evolutionary divergence between the tortoises found south and east of the Colorado River (“Sonoran population”), and those found north and west of the river (“Mojave population;” Lamb et al. 1989). The latter is the population Federally and State-listed as threatened. This population will be referred to in the remainder of this account. The majority of animals in the Mojave population occur at variable densities in six distinct population segments (i.e., evolutionarily significant units), each identified in the Recovery Plan for desert tortoises as separate Recovery Units (USFWS 1994).
Suggested Citation
Boarman, W., 2002, Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), United States.
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Other Report |
| Title | Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) |
| Year Published | 2002 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | U.S Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center |
| Publisher location | Sacramento, CA |
| Contributing office(s) | Western Ecological Research Center |
| Description | United States |
| Larger Work Type | Report |
| Larger Work Subtype | Other Report |
| Larger Work Title | The sensitive plant and animal species of the Western Mojave Desert |