Species Profile
Environmental Conservation Online System

Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)

Kingdom: Animalia
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Family: Testudinidae

Listing Status:  (and others listed below)

General Information

Gopherus agassizii is terrestrial, with a domed shell and round, stumpy elephantine hind legs. The front limbs are flattened for digging and heavily scaled without webbed toes. The carapace (upper shell) is oblong and domed with the sides round due to joining of the carapace and plastron (lower shell). The scute centers are often yellowish which have grooved concentric rings. The plastron is also yellowish, with brown along the scute margins. The head is small and rounded in front with reddish-tan coloring and the iris being greenish-yellow. The front and hind feet are about equal in size and the tail is of short length (Behler/King, 1979).

Population detail

The FWS is currently monitoring the following populations of the Desert tortoise 

Map of Species occurrence

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Map Image Map of Species occurrence Map of Species occurrence
Map of Species occurrence Map of Species occurrence
Map of Species occurrence Map of Species occurrence

This map represents our best available information about where a species is currently known to or or is believed to occur; however, it should NOT be used as an official species list for Section 7 Consultation purposes. To obtain an official species list for this purpose, please visit the Information, Planning, and Conservation (IPaC) System (click here: http://ecos.fws.gov/ipac)

  • Population location: Entire, except AZ south and east of Colorado River, and Mexico
    Listing status:  Threatened
    • States/US Territories in which this population is known to or is believed to occur:  Arizona , California , Nevada , Utah
    • US Counties in which this population is known to or is believed to occur:  View All
    • USFWS Refuges in which this population is known to occur:  CIBOLA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, DESERT NATIONAL WILDLIFE RANGE, HAVASU NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, IMPERIAL NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
  • Population location: AZ south and east of Colorado River, and Mexico, when found outside of Mexico or said range in AZ
    Listing status:  Similarity of Appearance (Threatened)
    • States/US Territories in which this population is known to or is believed to occur:  Arizona , California , Nevada , Utah
    • US Counties in which this population is known to or is believed to occur:  View All
  • Population location: Sonoran
    Listing status:  Candidate
Current Listing Status Summary
Status Date Listed Lead Region Where Listed
08/20/1980 California/Nevada Region (Region 8) U.S.A., except in Sonoran Desert
04/02/1990 California/Nevada Region (Region 8) outside/taken from Sonoran Desert
Southwest Region (Region 2) Sonoran

» Candidate Information

Current Candidate Status

Listing Priority: 6
Magnitude: High
Immediacy: Non-imminent
Taxonomy: Subspecies/population
Species Assessment: 
Candidate Notice of Review Documents (Showing 5 of 6: view all)
Date Citation Page Title
10/26/2011 76 FR 66370 66439 Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Notice of Findings on Resubmitted Petitions; Annual Description of Progress on Listing Actions
11/15/1994 59 FR 58982 59028 ETWP; Animal Candidate Review for Listing as Endangered or Threatened Species.
11/21/1991 56 FR 58804 58836 ETWP; Animal Candidate Review for Listing as Endangered or Threatened Species; 56 FR 58804 58836
01/06/1989 54 FR 554 579 ETWP; Animal Notice of Review; 54 FR 554 579
09/18/1985 50 FR 37958 37967 Review of Vertebrate Wildlife; Notice of Review; 50 FR 37958-37967

» Federal Register Documents

Most Recent Federal Register Documents (Showing 5 of 36: view all)
Date Citation Page Title
10/26/2011 76 FR 66370 66439 Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Notice of Findings on Resubmitted Petitions; Annual Description of Progress on Listing Actions
08/26/2011 76 FR 53482 53483 Notice of Availability of a Revised Recovery Plan for the Mojave Population of the Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
05/25/2011 76 FR 30377 30382 Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of Species in California, Nevada, and the Klamath Basin of Oregon
12/14/2010 75 FR 78094 78146 12-Month Finding on a Petition To List the Sonoran Population of the Desert Tortoise as Endangered or Threatened; Proposed Rule
08/28/2009 74 FR 44335 44344 90-Day Finding on a Petition To List the Sonoran Population of Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agasizzii) as a Distinct Population Segment (DPS) With Critical Habitat
Most Recent Special Rule Publications (Showing 2 of 2)
Date Citation Page Title
04/02/1990 55 FR 12178 12191 ETWP; Determination of Threatened Status for the Mojave Population of the Desert Tortoise; 55 FR 12178 12191
10/13/1989 54 FR 42270 42278 ETWP; Desert Tortoise; 54 FR 42270 42278

» Action Plans

Action Plans (Showing 1 of 1)
Date Title
09/23/2009 Desert tortoise Spotlight Species Action Plan

» Recovery

Recovery Plan Information Search
Current Recovery Plan(s)
Date Title Plan Action Status Plan Status
05/06/2011 Revised Recovery Plan for the Mojave Population of the Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) View Implementation Progress Final Revision 1
Other Recovery Documents (Showing 4 of 4)
Date Citation Page Title Document Type
08/26/2011 76 FR 53482 53483 Notice of Availability of a Revised Recovery Plan for the Mojave Population of the Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
  • Notice Final Recovery Plan Availability
    • 05/25/2011 76 FR 30377 30382 Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of Species in California, Nevada, and the Klamath Basin of Oregon
  • Notice 5-year Review, Completion
    • 08/04/2008 73 FR 45236 45238 Notice of Availability of Draft Revised Recovery Plan for Mojave Population of the Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
  • Notice Draft Recovery Plan Availability
    • 03/05/2008 73 FR 11945 11950 Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of 58 Species in California and Nevada; Availability of Completed 5-Year Reviews in California, Nevada and Southern Oregon
  • Notice 5-year Review, Initiation
    • Five Year Review
    Date Title
    09/30/2010 Mojave Population of the Desert Tortoise 5-Year Review

    » Critical Habitat

    Current Critical Habitat Documents (Showing 5 of 5)
    Date Citation Page Title Document Type Status
    02/08/1994 59 FR 5820 5866 ETWP; Determination of Critical Habitat for the Mojave Population of the Desert Tortoise Final Rule Final designated
    08/30/1993 58 FR 45748 45768 ETWP; Proposed Determination of Critical Habitat for the Mojave Population of the Desert Tortoise Proposed Rule Not Required
    08/20/1980 45 FR 55654 55666 ETWP; Listing as Threatened With Critical Habitat for the Beaver Dam Slope Population of the Desert Tortoise in Utah Final Rule Not Required
    12/07/1979 44 FR 70680 70682 ETWP; Reproposal of Critical Habitat for Two Species of Turtles Proposed Rule Not Required
    08/23/1978 43 FR 37662 37665 Proposed Endangered Status and Critical Habitat for the Beaver Dam slope Population of the Desert Tortoise; (Gopherus agassizii) Proposed Rule Not Required

    To learn more about critical habitat please see http://criticalhabitat.fws.gov

    » Conservation Plans

    Habitat Conservation Plans (HCP) (learn more) (Showing 5 of 26: view all)
    HCP Plan Summaries
    Cal. Dept. of Corrections Statewide Electrified Fence Project
    Clark County - Desert Tortoise, Short-Term (6 permittees)
    Clark County - Desert Tortoise, Short-Term, Amendment/Extension (5 permittees)
    Clark County Multiple Species HCP (7 permittees)
    Coachella Valley Multi-Species HCP
    Candidate Conservation Agreements (CCA): (learn more) (Showing 1 of 1)
    CCA Plan Summaries
    Spring Mountains National Recreation Area

    » Petitions

    Most Recent Petition Findings (Showing 5 of 6: view all)
    Date Citation Page Title Finding
    10/26/2011 76 FR 66370 66439 Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Notice of Findings on Resubmitted Petitions; Annual Description of Progress on Listing Actions
  • Notice 12 month petition finding, Warranted but precluded
  • Notice CNOR
    • 12/14/2010 75 FR 78094 78146 12-Month Finding on a Petition To List the Sonoran Population of the Desert Tortoise as Endangered or Threatened; Proposed Rule
  • Notice 12 month petition finding, Warranted but precluded
    • 08/28/2009 74 FR 44335 44344 90-Day Finding on a Petition To List the Sonoran Population of Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agasizzii) as a Distinct Population Segment (DPS) With Critical Habitat
  • Notice 90-day Petition Finding, Substantial
    • 06/27/1991 56 FR 29453 29455 ETWP; 12 Month Finding on a Petition to List the Sonoran Desert Tortoise as Threatened or Endangered; 56 FR 29453 29455
  • Notice 12 month petition finding, Not warranted
    • 12/05/1985 50 FR 49868 49870 Finding on Desert Tortoise Petition; 50 FR 49868-49870
  • Notice 12 month petition finding, Warranted but precluded

    • » Life History

    No Life History information has been entered into this system for this species.

    » Other Resources

    NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

    ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.

    Last updated: January 10, 2012