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Definition of Desert tortoise
1. Noun. Burrowing tortoise of the arid western United States and northern Mexico; may be reclassified as a member of genus Xerobates.
Generic synonyms: Tortoise
Group relationships: Genus Gopherus, Gopherus
Lexicographical Neighbors of Desert Tortoise
Literary usage of Desert tortoise
Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:
1. The Reptiles of the Pacific Coast and Great Basin: An Account of the Species by John Van Denburgh (1897)
"The skin on top of the head is divided into scales. There is but one supra- caudal
plate. 3.—Gopherus agassizii (Cooper). desert tortoise. ..."
2. The Wonders of the Colorado Desert (southern California) Its Rivers and Its by George Wharton James (1906)
"I have spoken to teamsters and miners who have often caught the desert tortoise,
and they agree that they must have an extra water supply. ..."
3. Ecosystem Disturbance and Wildlife Conservation in Western Grasslands: A edited by Deborah M. Finch (1998)
"Proceedings of the desert tortoise Council 1981:163-194. Oldemeyer, JL 1994.
Livestock grazing and the desert tortoise in the Mojave Desert. ..."
4. Biodiversity and the Management of the Madrean Archipelago: The Sky Islands edited by Leonard F. DeBano (1999)
"In the United States, population declines, increased incidence of diseases, and
loss of habitat are all threats to the desert tortoise. ..."