Gopherus is a genus of tortoises commonly referred to as gopher tortoises. Gopher tortoises are found through the southern United States and in northern Mexico. Gopher tortoises are so named because of their ability dig large, deep burrows. Their burrows are also used by a number of other species, which is what makes gopher tortoises so important to the ecosystem. Image File history File links Desert_tortise. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria (coral, jellyfish, anemones) Placozoa (trichoplax) Subregnum Bilateria (bilateral symmetry) Acoelomorpha (basal) Orthonectida (parasitic to flatworms, echinoderms, etc. ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicates Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Orders See text. ... Families See text Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudinata, most of whose body is shielded by a special bony shell developed from their ribs. ... Most modern turtles and tortoises belong to this group. ... For the band, see Tortoise (band). ... C. S. Rafinesque Constantine Samuel Rafinesque-Schmaltz (October 22, 1783-September 18, 1840) was a nineteenth-century polymath who led a chaotic life. ... 1832 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... In biology, a genus (plural genera) is a grouping in the classification of living organisms having one or more related and morphologically similar species. ... Genera Chersina Dipsochelys Furculachelys Geochelone Gopherus Homopus Indotestudo Kinixys Malacochersus Manouria Psammobates Pyxis Testudo The tortoise is a land-dwelling reptile which is of the order Testudines. ... In biology, a species is the basic unit of biodiversity. ...
There are currently four recognized species in the genus Gopherus:
Gopherus is a uniquely North American genus consisting of tortoises that are structurally adapted to a burrowing and digging lifestyle.
The genus name Gopherus was coined by the naturalist C. Rafinesque in 1816 but first published in 1832 to describe the North American tortoises.
Gopherus is derived from the word gopher, which was already in common use in the US to describe burrowing animals such as the gopher tortoise at the time.
Gopherustortoises today live in harsh climates, such as the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts, where they are subjected to extreme temperature fluctuations during a typical 24 hour period.
Several species of Gopherustortoise are considered endangered or threatened; baby hatchlings have a very high mortality rate and in most areas their numbers are greatly reduced.
Van Devender, Thomas R. The desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizi) in the Pleistocene of the northern Chihuahua Desert.
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