Any Idea What This May Be ?

[Len B]

I know it's a tortoise but. I'm thinking North American ? This pic was taken 45 years ago. I have been going thru a box of old 35mm negatives and this one was on a roll with another pic that I remember the year I took it. Any Ideas ?

 

[Tom]

I really can't say for sure, but is it possibly a Chaco? I suppose it could be a DT or gopher...

Hard to tell.

 

[Oxalis]

Yay, I learned about a new species today: Chaco! That's a super cute tortoise species. Great photo for being 45 years old. Nicely done!

 

[Yvonne G]

I'll bet it's a Texas (Gopherus berlandieri). The desert tortoises are not quite so round.

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

How common is it for Gopherus spp. tortoises to not have nuchal scutes?

 

[motero]

Texas, desert, and gopher have nochal scutes. I think Chaco does not.

 

[motero]

How common is it for Gopherus spp. tortoises to not have nuchal scutes?

Oh, you beat me to it.

 

[Yvonne G]

How common is it for Gopherus spp. tortoises to not have nuchal scutes?

Actually, most of the Berlandieri have a very deep "v" instead of a nuchal scute. Most of mine don't have a nuchal scute, however, some do, which leads me to believe that some of mine are mixed with agassizii.

 

[Oxalis]

This prompted me to look up "nuchal scute." Great stuff!!

http://www.learnnc.org/lp/multimedia/2724