The Sonoran Desert tortoise (Gopherus morafkai), or Morafka's desert tortoise,[3][4] is a species of terrestrial chelonian reptile of the family Testudinidae (tortoises) native to the Sonoran Desert.
| Sonoran Desert tortoise | |
|---|---|
| |
| Sonoran Desert tortoise, G. morafkai | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Testudines |
| Suborder: | Cryptodira |
| Superfamily: | Testudinoidea |
| Family: | Testudinidae |
| Genus: | Gopherus |
| Species: | G. morafkai
|
| Binomial name | |
| Gopherus morafkai Murphy, Berry, Edwards, Leviton, Lathrop, and Riedle, 2011[2]
| |
Taxon history
editIn 2011, using DNA evidence, geography, and behavioral observations, it was concluded that two distinct species of desert tortoise exist on either side (east-west) of the Colorado River:
- the Mojave or Agassiz's desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii); known primarily from the California counties of Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego.[5] Its range continues northeast of Death Valley and the Mojave Desert through the Nevada counties of Clark, Esmeralda, Lincoln and Nye, as well as Mohave County, in Arizona,[6] and extreme southwestern Utah, near Zion National Park.[7]
- the Sonoran or Morafka's desert tortoise (Gopherus morafkai);[8] found east of the Colorado River, primarily in the Arizona counties of Cochise, Gila, Graham, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Yavapai and Yuma.[9] Found in the Sonoran Desert, in the states of Sonora and Sinaloa, Mexico. The new species' name is in honor of the late Professor David Joseph Morafka of California State University, Dominguez Hills, in recognition of his many contributions to the study and conservation of the genus Gopherus.[3]
References
edit- ^ Averill-Murray, R.C.; Rosen, P.C.; Jones, C.A.; Jones, T.R.; Lara-Resendiz, R.A.; Edwards, T.; Karl, A.; Berry, K.H. (2023). "Gopherus morafkai". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2023: e.T97246109A97246177. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T97246109A97246177.en. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
- ^ Rhodin, Anders G.J.; Inverson, John B.; Roger, Bour; Fritz, Uwe; Georges, Arthur; Shaffer, H. Bradley; van Dijk, Peter Paul; et al. (Turtle Taxonomy Working Group) (August 3, 2017). Rhodin A G.J.; Iverson J.B.; van Dijk P.P.; Saumure R.A.; Buhlmann K.A.; Pritchard P.C.H.; Mittermeier R.A. (eds.). "Turtles of the world, 2017 update: Annotated checklist and atlas of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status(8th Ed.)" (PDF). Chelonian Research Monographs. Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. 7 (8 ed.): 1–292. doi:10.3854/crm.7.checklist.atlas.v8.2017. ISBN 978-1-5323-5026-9. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
- ^ a b Gopherus morafkai at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 10 August 2020.
- ^ "Morafka's Desert Tortoise Gopherus morafkai". iNaturalist. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
- ^ "Observations • iNaturalist". Retrieved 10 June 2024.
- ^ "Observations • iNaturalist". Retrieved 10 June 2024.
- ^ "Observations • iNaturalist". Retrieved 10 June 2024.
- ^ Genetic Analysis Splits Desert Tortoise into Two Species. US Geological Survey (2011-06-28). Retrieved on 2019-08-22.
- ^ "Observations • iNaturalist". Retrieved 10 June 2024.