A survey of the present distribution of the desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii, in Arizona
Burge BL. A survey of the present distribution of the desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii, in Arizona. Pages 27-74. In St. Amant E (ed): Desert Tortoise Council: Proceedings of 1979 Symposium. Tucson ,AZ. March 24-26, 1979. Desert Tortoise Council. Long Beach, CA
This is a field study of tortoise distribution from May to October 1978. Transects and terrain ranged from bajada to mountaintop. Ninety-five percent of tortoise sign was found on slopes in the southern transects. The frequency and density of sign was greatest in palo verde-cacti communities. Population density was estimated at less than 50 tortoise per square mile. Sites north of the Grand Canyon were sampled using measures that are not entirely accurate for current presence measures.
- Type
- Conference Proceeding Paper
- Authors
- Burge, Betty
- Units
- PARA
- Keywords
- Bajada, Distribution (Biodiversity), Gopherus agassizii (Desert Tortoise), Grand Canyon, Reptilia (Reptiles), Sonoran Desert, Testudines, Testudinidae (Tortoises)