Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
Taxonomy:
Listing Status: and
General Information
Gopherus agassizii is terrestrial, with a domed shell and round, stumpy elephantine hind legs. The front limbs are flattened for digging and heavily scaled without webbed toes. The carapace (upper shell) is oblong and domed with the sides round due to joining of the carapace and plastron (lower shell). The scute centers are often yellowish which have grooved concentric rings. The plastron is also yellowish, with brown along the scute margins. The head is small and rounded in front with reddish-tan coloring and the iris being greenish-yellow. The front and hind feet are about equal in size and the tail is of short length (Behler/King, 1979).
Population detail
The FWS is currently monitoring the following populations of the Desert tortoise
-
Population location: Wherever found, except AZ south and east of Colorado R., and Mexico
Listing status: Threatened
- States/US Territories in which this population is known to or is believed to occur: Arizona , California , Nevada , Utah
- US Counties in which this population is known to or is believed to occur: View All
- USFWS Refuges in which this population is known to occur:
Cibola National Wildlife Refuge, Desert National Wildlife Range, Imperial National Wildlife Refuge, Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge
- Additional species information
-
Population location: AZ south and east of Colorado R., and Mexico, when found outside of Mexico or said range in AZ
Listing status: Similarity of Appearance (Threatened)
| Status | Date Listed | Lead Region | Where Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980-08-20 | California/Nevada Region (Region 8) | Wherever found, except AZ south and east of Colorado R., and Mexico | |
| 1990-04-02 | California/Nevada Region (Region 8) | AZ south and east of Colorado R., and Mexico, when found outside of Mexico or said range in AZ |
» Federal Register Documents
| Date | Citation Page | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1990-04-02 00:00:00.0 | 55 FR 12178 12191 | ETWP; Determination of Threatened Status for the Mojave Population of the Desert Tortoise; 55 FR 12178 12191 |
| 1989-10-13 00:00:00.0 | 54 FR 42270 42278 | ETWP; Desert Tortoise; 54 FR 42270 42278 |
» Recovery
| Date | Title | Plan Action Status | Plan Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-05-06 | Revised Recovery Plan for the Mojave Population of the Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) | View Implementation Progress | Final Revision 1 |
| Date | Citation Page | Title | Document Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-08-04 | 73 FR 45236 45238 | Notice of Availability of Draft Revised Recovery Plan for Mojave Population of the Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) |
|
| 2011-08-26 | 76 FR 53482 53483 | Notice of Availability of a Revised Recovery Plan for the Mojave Population of the Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) |
|
| 2011-05-25 | 76 FR 30377 30382 | Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of Species in California, Nevada, and the Klamath Basin of Oregon |
|
| 2008-03-05 | 73 FR 11945 11950 | Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of 58 Species in California and Nevada; Availability of Completed 5-Year Reviews in California, Nevada and Southern Oregon |
|
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| 2010-09-30 | Mojave Population of the Desert Tortoise 5-Year Review |
» Critical Habitat
| Date | Citation Page | Title | Document Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-02-08 | 59 FR 5820 5866 | ETWP; Determination of Critical Habitat for the Mojave Population of the Desert Tortoise | Final Rule | Final designated |
| 1993-08-30 | 58 FR 45748 45768 | ETWP; Proposed Determination of Critical Habitat for the Mojave Population of the Desert Tortoise | Proposed Rule | Not Required |
| 1980-08-20 | 45 FR 55654 55666 | ETWP; Listing as Threatened With Critical Habitat for the Beaver Dam Slope Population of the Desert Tortoise in Utah | Final Rule | Not Required |
| 1979-12-07 | 44 FR 70680 70682 | ETWP; Reproposal of Critical Habitat for Two Species of Turtles | Proposed Rule | Not Required |
| 1978-08-23 | 43 FR 37662 37665 | Proposed Endangered Status and Critical Habitat for the Beaver Dam slope Population of the Desert Tortoise; (Gopherus agassizii) | Proposed Rule | Not Required |
To learn more about critical habitat please see http://ecos.fws.gov/crithab
» Conservation Plans
| CCA Plan Summaries |
|---|
| Spring Mountains National Recreation Area |
» Petitions
» Life History
No Life History information has been entered into this system for this species.
» Other Resources
NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.
ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.
FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.
