Bolson tortoise

About Bolson tortoises:

• It is the largest and rarest land reptile, as well as the rarest of the six Gopherus species native to the North American Continent.
• Adult males are generally smaller than females in this species.
• The tortoise is a land-dwelling reptile that spends more than 95% of its time in a burrow that it constructs with its shovel-like front feet.
• All foraging, nesting and mating activities take place during the tortoise active season from roughly April to October
• The average lifespan of a Bolson tortoise is not known, but probably lies upward of a century.
• Distribution:
  • This species at present is restricted to a relatively small area of the grasslands of north-central Mexico in the states of Chihuahua, Coahuila and Durango where it exists in disjunct sub-populations.
  • Conservation status
    • IUCN: Critically Endangered

Q1) What are Reptiles?

Reptiles are a diverse group of cold-blooded vertebrate animals belonging to the class Reptilia. They are characterized by several key features that distinguish them from other animal groups.

Source: Biologists in slow and steady race to help North America’s largest and rarest tortoise species.