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] | |
The Sonoran Desert tortoise (Gopherus morafkai), or Morafka's desert tortoise, [3] [4] is a species of tortoise native to the Sonoran Desert.
In 2011, on the basis of DNA, geographic, and behavioral differences between desert tortoises east and west of the Colorado River, it was decided that two species of desert tortoises exist: Agassiz's desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) and Morafka's desert tortoise (Gopherus morafkai). [5] G. morafkai occurs east of the Colorado River in Arizona, as well as 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 Gopherus. [3]
The Bolson tortoise, also called the Mexican giant tortoise or yellow-margined tortoise, is a species of tortoise from North America. Of the six North American tortoise species, it is the largest, having a carapace length of about 46 cm (18 in). It lives in a region of the Chihuahuan Desert known as the Bolsón de Mapimí, which is located in north-central Mexico.
The giant Asian pond turtle inhabits rivers, streams, marshes, and rice paddies from estuarine lowlands to moderate altitudes throughout Cambodia and Vietnam and in parts of Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand.
Gopherus is a genus of fossorial tortoises commonly referred to as gopher tortoises. The gopher tortoise is grouped with land tortoises that originated 60 million years ago, in North America. A genetic study has shown that their closest relatives are in the Asian genus Manouria. The gopher tortoises live in the southern United States from California's Mojave Desert across to Florida, and in parts of northern Mexico. Gopher tortoises are so named because of some species' habit of digging large, deep burrows. Most notably, Gopherus polyphemus digs burrows which can be up to 40 feet (12 m) in length and 10 feet (3.0 m) in depth. These burrows are used by a variety of other species, including mammals, other reptiles, amphibians, and birds. Gopher tortoises are 20–50 cm (7.9–19.7 in) in length, depending on the species. All six species are found in xeric habitats. Numerous extinct species are known, the oldest dating to the Priabonian stage of the Late Eocene of the United States.
Macrochelys is a genus of very large freshwater turtles in the family Chelydridae, native to the Southeastern and Midwestern United States. Only a single extant species was recognized until 2014, when a study divided it into two, or possibly three species. These turtles are easily recognized by three distinct dorsal ridges with raised spikes.
Chelus is a genus of large freshwater turtles found in tropical South America. Formerly considered to be a monotypic genus, it now consists of two species after Chelus orinocensis was identified in 2020 from a genetic analysis.
The New Guinea snake-necked turtle is a species of turtle in the family Chelidae. The species is found almost exclusively within Western Province, Papua New Guinea.
Parker's snake-necked turtle is a species of turtle in the family Chelidae.
Pritchard's snake-necked turtle is a species of turtles in the family Chelidae. The species is endemic to a restricted area of Central Province, Papua New Guinea.
Reimann's snake-necked turtle is a species of turtle in the family Chelidae. The species is endemic to Oceania and Southeast Asia.
The Western New Guinea stream turtle or New Guinea snapping turtle is a species of freshwater turtle in the Chelidae family. It is found in the Bird's Head Peninsula and the Bomberai Peninsula west of Cenderawasih Bay, and on the island of Waigeo of West Papua, Indonesia.
Pelusios broadleyi, commonly known as the Turkana mud turtle, Broadley's mud turtle, or the Lake Turkana hinged terrapin, is a species of turtle in the family Pelomedusidae. The species is native to eastern Africa.
The red-headed Amazon side-necked turtle, red-headed river turtle or red-headed sideneck is a species of turtle in the family Podocnemididae. It is found in the Amazon basin in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela. The red-headed river turtle is considered a small turtle with a size of less than 32 cm, making it easily distinguishable from other species in the area. Identifying factors of this turtle include colors ranging from dark brown to black, barbels under the chin, and a bright red strip that goes from behind its head to the tympanum.
The six-tubercled Amazon River turtle or six-tubercled river turtle is a species of turtle in the family Podocnemididae.
Elseya dentata, the northern snapping turtle, is a large aquatic turtle found throughout many rivers in northern Western Australia and the Northern Territory. It is one of three species in the nominate subgenus Elseya.
Emydura macquarii is a species of turtle in the family Chelidae. It is a wide-ranging species that occurs throughout many of the rivers of the eastern half of Australia. It is found primarily in the Macquarie River basin and all its major tributaries, along with a number of coastal rivers up the New South Wales Coast. It is also found in the coastal Queensland rivers and the Cooper Creek ecosystem, along with Fraser Island.
Elseya schultzei, commonly known as Schultze's snapping turtle, is a species of chelid turtle endemic to northern New Guinea.
Chelodina (Chelydera) kuchlingi, commonly known as Kuchling's long-necked turtle or Kuchling's turtle, is a species of freshwater turtle in the family Chelidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
Chelodina (Chelydera) walloyarrina, the Kimberley long neck turtle or Kimberley snake-necked turtle, is a large species of long neck turtle endemic to the Kimberley region of Western Australia. In recent years, it has been unclear as to whether this was a valid species or not. It has been recognised as such by the 2017 and 2021 editions of the Turtle Checklist. In a recent paper it waslisted as a subspecies of Chelodina burrungandjii by Kehlmaier et al. 2019, however, that publication did not actually assess the type of the species nore did it analyse it. Hence it should be considered a full species.
Chelodina gunaleni, also known commonly as Gunalen's long-necked turtle and Gunalen's snake-necked turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Chelidae. The species is endemic to the lowlands of west-central West Papua, Indonesia, south of the central ranges.
The Goode's thornscrub tortoise, also known as the Sinaloan thornscrub tortoise, Sinaloan desert tortoise or Goode's desert tortoise, is a species of tortoise that is native to the Sinaloan desert region. First described in 2016, G. evgoodei inhabits Tropical Deciduous Forest and Sinaloan Desertscrub biomes in Mexico. Its range may overlap in the north with G. morafkai, the Morafka's or Sonoran desert tortoise.