Sulcata tortoises are large reptiles, also commonly referred to as the âAfrican spurred tortoise.âThese creatures are the third largest species of tortoise in the world, behind the Galapagos tortoise and Albrada giant tortoise. Other animals and geographic locations also bear his name. Basic Desert Tortoise Facts. The top is brown or horn-colored; the bottom is yellowed. Gopherus morafkai - found east of the Colorado River in Arizona and Mexico (Mexico states Sonora and Sinaloa). Desert Tortoise Gopherus agassizii. Females can give birth for up to 15 years after initial mating with the male. The desert tortoise lives in deserts of the American Southwest and northern Mexico. A group of tortoises is known as a creep. Most tortoises hibernate in the winter. If you startle a wild desert tortoise, it could âvoidâ or empty its bladder, leading to dehydration and possibly death. Desert tortoises are inactive most of the year. Several factors conspired to diminish the population of the desert tortoise. What do desert tortoises eat? Desert tortoise (Gopherus morafkai) have a high domed shell, carapace (top of shell) length of 9 to 15 inches, elephantine or "columnar" legs that are heavily scaled in the front.A desert tortoise can't be mistaken for anything else native to its range (introduced tortoise species complicate this). Sulcatas can grow to be well over 230 lbs., and live as long as 70 years! Recently the desert tortoise was split into 2 separate species.The Agassiz's desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizi) lives in the Mojave deserts of California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona west of the Colorado river. A desert tortoise spends 95 percent of its life in a burrow. Gopherus agassizii - found in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. Desert tortoise behavior and facts The desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), is a 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. Other interesting Mojave desert tortoise facts: The bladder of the Mojave Desert tortoise can store up to 40% of its weight in water. It is primarily an herbivore. The desert tortoise is an herbivore that may attain a length of 9 to 15 inches in upper shell (carapace) length. Meet The Mojave Desert Tortoise. A female desert tortoise can retain sperm and lay fertile eggs for up to 15 years after mating only one time with a male. Fun Facts: The shell is high domed with prominent growth lines on shields of both the upper and lower shell sections. The tortoise is able to live where ground temperatures may exceed 140 degrees F because of its ability to dig underground burrows and to escape the heat. Arguably the most-studied animal in the park, the tortoise was placed on both the California and Federal Endangered Species Lists in 1989 and 1990, respectively. Desert Tortoise Species. The Mojave desert tortoise is a slow-moving reptile found in deserts and other dry regions in the southwestern United States. This tortoise was named to honor Louis Agassiz, a Swiss scientist (1807-1873). Desert Tortoises are approximately 10 to 14 inches long (25 to 36 centimeters). Tortoises hide in their shells when theyâre startled. Other Facts. 10 facts about the desert tortoise G. agassizii is distributed in western Arizona, southeastern California, southern Nevada, and southwestern Utah. The desert tortoise is a threatened species throughout much of its range which includes both the Sonoran and Mojave deserts. 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