Gopherus berlandieri

(Agassiz, 1857)

Vernacular names

English : Texas tortoise
French : Gophère du Texas

Classification

Class : Reptilia
Order : Testudines
Family : Testudinidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification

Adults can reach a carapace length of 24 cm for a weight of 15 kg. Flat-topped shell with ridged and rough appearance. Mostly dark brown to black with light blotched on shell scales. Plastron is yellow.

Range and habitat

The species occurs in North and Central America, from the southern half of Texas to Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, Jalisco). Lives in dry scrublands and grasslands with lots of cacti, up to 800 m.

Conservation

IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Appendix II
Status : The species is still locally numerous and legally protected but is vulnerable to habitat destruction by extensive and large-scale agricultural practices.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation