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.

Exact synonyms: Gopherus Agassizii
Generic synonyms: Tortoise
Group relationships: Genus Gopherus, Gopherus

Lexicographical Neighbors of Desert Tortoise

desert paintbrush
desert pavement
desert pavements
desert pea
desert plant
desert plume
desert rat
desert rheumatism
desert rose
desert sand verbena
desert selaginella
desert soil
desert soils
desert sore
desert sunflower
desert tortoise (current term)
desert varnish
desert willow
deserted
desertedness
deserter
deserters
desertful
desertic
desertic soil
desertification
desertified
desertifies
desertify
desertifying

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. ..."

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