The Tortoises 



Distribution. South Carolina to Florida; west- 

 ward to western Texas. 



No enlarged scales on inner surface of forearm. 

 Front lobe of plastron but slightly directed upward. 



AGASSIZ'S TORTOISE, Testudo aggassifi. 

 Distribution. Deserts of Arizona and southern 



California. 

 B. Shell nearly as wide as long. 



Front lobe of plastron nearly straight. 



BERLANDIER'S TORTOISE, Testudo berlandieri. 

 Distribution. Southern Texas and northeastern 

 Mexico. 



Detailed descriptions of these species follow: 



THE GOPHER TORTOISE 



Testudo polyphemus, (Daudin) 



Size large. Shell rather high, but flattened on the top; 

 bluntly rounded at front and rear. Upper surface quite smooth 

 with old individuals, but showing many sharp, concentric grooves 

 in the shields of young specimens. The head is blunt and rounded ; 

 the tail is very short. The plastron is thick and heavy, the 

 rear portion notched, the front projecting beyond the edge of 

 the carapace in the shape of a thick and narrow process, which 

 is bent sharply upward, owing to the upward slant of the front 

 lobe of the plastron. 



The front portions of the forelimbs are covered with large 

 and thick scaly plates. The terminal joint of the limb is flat 

 and along the margin are very large, horn-like scales; at the bend 

 of the limb there is one of these spines considerably more developed 

 than the others; it is usually attended by several spines irreg- 

 ularly larger than those of the marginal row. The hind limbs 

 are covered with a finer scalation and resemble, in miniature, 

 the feet of an elephant. All four feet possess very stout, blunt 

 claws. The general make-up is as strongly suggestive of a ter- 

 restrial life, as that of a flat-shelled, web-footed turtle points 

 toward an aquatic existence. 



Colouration. The shell of the adult specimen is dull brown, 

 perfectly uniform in colour with those individuals that possess 

 smoothly-worn shells, but with obscure, dull yellow blotches 

 in the centres of the shields (one in each shield) on younger 

 specimens. These blotches may be intensified by moistening 



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