desert tortoise
noun
: a large burrowing land tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) of arid regions of the southwestern U.S. and adjacent Mexico
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In addition to North Carolina’s red-wolf crossings, the program has awarded grants for nearly three dozen projects — some of which will aid imperiled species such as ocelots and desert tortoises, many more that will seek to avert dangerous crashes with large mammals like deer, elk, and moose.
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Ben Goldfarb, Vox, 14 Mar. 2025
The monument’s name comes from the stocky Chuckwalla lizards that frequent the area, which is also home to bighorn sheep, desert tortoises, kangaroo rats, burrowing owls and jackrabbits.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2025
Adult desert tortoises must be kept outdoors, the club said, with shelter from the weather and a place to retreat at night.
—Krystal Nurse, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2025
Box turtles, desert tortoises and water turtles all require different types of water, according to the California Turtle and Tortoise Club.
—Krystal Nurse, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2025
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Ben Goldfarb, Vox, 14 Mar. 2025
The monument’s name comes from the stocky Chuckwalla lizards that frequent the area, which is also home to bighorn sheep, desert tortoises, kangaroo rats, burrowing owls and jackrabbits.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2025
Adult desert tortoises must be kept outdoors, the club said, with shelter from the weather and a place to retreat at night.
—Krystal Nurse, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2025
Box turtles, desert tortoises and water turtles all require different types of water, according to the California Turtle and Tortoise Club.
—Krystal Nurse, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desert tortoise
Cite this Entry
“Desert tortoise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/desert%20tortoise. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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