986 18. TESTUDINIDZ 
Marginals twelve on each side and a small nuchal. Plastron 
large, rounded, completely closing the shell, hinged between 
pectorals and abdominals; anal, femoral and humeral plates 
largest; gulars smallest. Axillary and inguinal plates absent. 
Head rather large, covered above with smooth skin. Limbs 
well developed, anterior with five, posterior with four, 
clawed digits which are little if at all webbed. Tail rather 
short and slender. 
The general color and markings are quite variable. The 
carapace usually is brown, olive, or yellowish, marked with 
yellow rays which radiate from the center of growth of each 
plate. In some specimens these light rays are few or obso- 
lete. The plastron is similarly marked. The head, neck 
and limbs are brown or olive with yellowish or orange mark- 
ings. 
Length of carapace.._-...121 128 129 129 129 134 
Length of plastron..___126 127 132 132 130 135 
Width of carapace_.. 105 106 103 102 111 111 
Width of plastron._... 78 83 84 88 85 86 
Distribution.—This turtle ranges from Indiana, I]linois 
and the Mississippi Valley west to the Rocky Mountains and 
southern Arizona. 
In Arizona it has been collected near Fort Lowell and 
La Osa, Pima County, and Fairbank, and Ramsey Canyon, 
Huachuca Mountains, Cochise County. The National Mu- 
seum has it from the Graham Mountains at 4,600 feet. 
Genus 54. Gopherus 
Gopherus RarinEsquE, Atlantic Journal, Vol. 1, No. 2, 1832, p. 64 
(type, polyphemus). 
Xerobates Acassiz, Contr. Nat. Hist. U. S., Vol. 1, 1857, p. 446 (types, 
poly phemus and berlandieri). 
The shell is very broad and high. The plastron is im- 
