Desert Tortoise

Description:

These tortoises may attain a length of 10 to 14 inches (25 to 36 cm), with males being slightly larger than females. Male tortoises have a longer gular horn than females, their plastron (lower shell) is concave compared to female tortoises. Males have larger tails than females do. Their shells are high-domed, and greenish-tan to dark brown in color. Desert tortoises can grow up to 4–6" (10–15 cm) in height and weigh 8–15 lb (4–7 kg). The front limbs have sharp, claw-like scales and are flattened for digging. Back legs are skinnier and very long.

Habitat:

This tortoise lives at Tulsa Zoo, Tulsa, OK, USA.

Notes:

We cannot tell whether this is a Mojave Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) or a Sonoran Desert Tortoise (Gopherus morafkai).