PBDB Taxon

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Morphology	Ecology and taphonomy	External Literature Search	Age range and collections

Gopherus (gopher tortoise)

Reptilia - Testudines - Testudinidae

Taxonomy

Gopherus was named by Rafinesque (1832). It is extant. Its type is Testudo polyphemus. It is the type genus of Gopherinae, Gopherinii.

It was assigned to Gopherinii by Swingland and Klemens (1989); to Testudines by Anquetin et al. (2009); and to Testudinidae by Hay (1930), Galbreath (1953), Auffenberg (1971), Carroll (1988), Hutchison (1996), Frank and Ramus (1996), Wall and Maddox (1998), Reynoso and Montellano-Ballesteros (2004), Joyce et al. (2004), de la Fuente et al. (2014), van Dijk et al. (2014), Vlachos and Rabi (2018), Vlachos (2018) and May (2019).

Species

G. (Gopherus), G. (Oligopherus), G. agassizii, G. auffenbergi (syn. G. pargensis), G. berlandieri, G. brevisternus, G. depressus (syn. G. dehiscus), G. donlaloi, G. edae (syn. Testudo pansa, Testudo vaga, Testudo hollandi), G. flavomarginatus, G. hexagonatus (syn. G. huecoensis, Testudo campester, Bysmachelys canyonensis), G. laticuneus, G. mohavensis, G. morafkai, G. polyphemus, Testudo milleri

Synonyms

Bysmachelys was named by Johnston (1937). It is not extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Gopherus by Bramble (1982), Hutchison (1996) and Reynoso and Montellano-Ballesteros (2004).
Testudo milleri was named by Brattstrom (1961) [type is a "Gopherus mohavense" specimen of Merriam 1919 from the "Barstow beds"]. Its type specimen is UCMP 21574, a shell (shell), and it is a 3D body fossil.

It was synonymized subjectively with Scaptochelys mohavense by Bramble (1982); it was synonymized subjectively with Gopherus mohavetus by Reynoso and Montellano-Ballesteros (2004); it was considered a nomen dubium by Vlachos (2018).
Gopherus (Oligopherus) was named by Hutchison (1996).

It was considered an invalid subgroup of Gopherus by Reynoso and Montellano-Ballesteros (2004); it was reranked as Oligopherus by Vlachos (2018).

It was assigned to Gopherus by Hutchison (1996); and to Pantestudinidae by Vlachos (2018).
Scaptochelys was named by Bramble (1982).

It was synonymized subjectively with Gopherus by Reynoso and Montellano-Ballesteros (2004) and Vlachos (2018).

It was assigned to Testudinidae by Bramble (1982).
Xerobates was named by Agassiz (1857). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Gopherus by Bramble (1982) and Reynoso and Montellano-Ballesteros (2004).

It was assigned to Testudinidae by Hutchison (1992).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1832	Gopherus Rafinesque
1857	Xerobates Agassiz
1930	Gopherus Hay p. 101
1937	Bysmachelys Johnston p. 447
1953	Gopherus Galbreath p. 38
1961	Testudo milleri Brattstrom p. 546
1971	Gopherus Auffenberg p. 116
1982	Scaptochelys Bramble p. 853 figs. 1-11
1988	Gopherus Carroll
1989	Gopherus Swingland and Klemens p. 124
1992	Xerobates Hutchison
1996	Gopherus Frank and Ramus
1996	Gopherus Hutchison p. 348
1996	Gopherus (Oligopherus) Hutchison p. 348
1998	Gopherus Wall and Maddox p. 11
2004	Gopherus Joyce et al.
2004	Gopherus Reynoso and Montellano-Ballesteros p. 823
2009	Gopherus Anquetin et al.
2014	Gopherus de la Fuente et al.
2014	Gopherus van Dijk et al.
2018	Gopherus Vlachos
2018	Oligopherus Vlachos
2018	Gopherus Vlachos and Rabi p. 663
2019	Gopherus May

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Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Deuterostomia
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1874
subphylum	Vertebrata
superclass	Gnathostomata
—	Osteichthyes	()
subclass	Sarcopterygii	()
subclass	Dipnotetrapodomorpha	(Nelson 2006)
subclass	Tetrapodomorpha	()
—	Tetrapoda
—	Reptiliomorpha

Rank	Name	Author
—	Anthracosauria
subclass	Amphibiosauria	Kuhn 1967
—	Cotylosauria	()
—	Amniota
—	Sauropsida
class	Reptilia
—	Testudinata	(Oppel 1811)
order	Testudines	Batsch 1788
suborder	Cryptodira
—	Pantestudinoidea
superfamily	Testudinoidea
family	Testudinidae	Batsch 1788
genus	Gopherus	Rafinesque 1832

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

G. Gopherus Rafinesque 1832 [gopher tortoise]

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Subg. †Gopherus (Gopherus) Rafinesque 1832

Gopherus agassizii Cooper 1863 [Mojave desert tortoise]

†Gopherus auffenbergi Mooser 1972

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Invalid names: Gopherus pargensis Mooser 1980 [synonym]

Gopherus berlandieri Agassiz 1857

†Gopherus brevisternus Loomis 1909

†Gopherus depressus Brattstrom 1961

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Invalid names: Gopherus dehiscus Des Lauriers 1965 [synonym]

†Gopherus donlaloi Reynoso and Montellano-Ballesteros 2004

†Gopherus edae Hay 1906

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Invalid names: Testudo hollandi Hay 1906 [synonym], Testudo pansa Hay 1908 [synonym], Testudo vaga Hay 1908 [synonym]

Gopherus flavomarginatus Legler 1959

†Gopherus hexagonatus Cope 1893

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Invalid names: Bysmachelys canyonensis Johnston 1937 [synonym], Gopherus huecoensis Strain 1966 [synonym], Testudo campester Hay 1908 [synonym]

†Gopherus laticuneus Cope 1873

†Gopherus mohavensis Merriam 1919

Gopherus morafkai Murphy et al. 2011 [Sonoran desert tortoise]

Gopherus polyphemus Daudin 1802 [Florida gopher tortoise]

Invalid names: Bysmachelys Johnston 1937 [synonym], Gopherus (Oligopherus) Hutchison 1996 [invalid subgroup], Scaptochelys Bramble 1982 [synonym], Testudo milleri Brattstrom 1961 [nomen dubium], Xerobates Agassiz 1857 [synonym]

Diagnosis

No diagnoses are available

Measurements

No measurements are available

Composition:

phosphaticsubp

Environment:

terrestrialf

Locomotion:

actively mobilec

Life habit:

ground dwellingf

Diet:

herbivoref

Diet 2:

herbivoref

Reproduction:

oviparousf

Created:

2005-08-26 07:16:55

Modified:

2005-09-09 16:16:46

Source: f = family, c = class, subp = subphylum

References: Ernst and Barbour 1989, Carroll 1988, Hendy et al. 2009

Age range

Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Early/Lower Uintan to the top of the Holocene or 46.20000 to 0.00000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 39.7 Ma

Collections (90 total)

Time interval	Ma	Country or state	Original ID and collection number
Early/Lower Uintan	46.2 - 39.7	USA (Utah)	Gopherus uintensis (186888)
Chadronian	37.2 - 33.9	USA (Colorado)	Testudo laticuneus (16977)
Chadronian	37.2 - 33.9	USA (Nebraska)	Gopherus laticuneus (99591 99593 99595)
Chadronian - Orellan	37.2 - 33.3	USA (Nebraska)	Gopherus laticuneus (99594)
Orellan	33.9 - 33.3	USA (Nebraska)	Gopherus laticuneus (99590 99592)
Orellan	33.9 - 33.3	USA (Wyoming)	Testudo laticunea (99850 99851)
Arikareean	29.5 - 18.5	USA (Wyoming)	Testudo brevisterna (191902)
Harrisonian	24.8 - 18.5	USA (Nebraska)	Testudo edae (191903)
Hemingfordian	20.43 - 15.97	USA (Wyoming)	Gopherus edae (19073 19074)
Hemingfordian - Barstovian	20.43 - 12.5	USA (Colorado)	Testudo pansa (191836)
Hemingfordian - Barstovian	20.43 - 12.5	USA (California)	Gopherus dehiscus (19235) Gopherus depressus (19197)
Barstovian	16.3 - 12.5	USA (Wyoming)	Testudo vaga (191921)
Barstovian	16.3 - 12.5	USA (California)	Testudo milleri (99598) Testudo milleri, Gopherus mohavense (99597)
Clarendonian	12.5 - 9.4	USA (California)	Gopherus mohavense (19553)
Clarendonian	12.5 - 9.4	USA (Texas)	Gopherus sp. (18623)
Hemphillian	10.3 - 4.9	USA (Oklahoma)	Gopherus sp. (170191)
Late/Upper Hemphillian	10.3 - 4.9	Mexico (Chihuahua)	Gopherus sp. (18755)
Blancan (interglacial)	4.9 - 1.8	USA (Florida)	Gopherus polyphemus (98315)
Blancan	4.9 - 1.8	USA (New Mexico)	Gopherus sp. (230461)
Blancan	4.9 - 1.8	USA (Texas)	Bysmachelys canyonensis (20033) Gopherus huecoensis (20037)
Blancan	4.9 - 1.8	USA (Florida)	Gopherus polyphemus (98317 101742)
Late/Upper Pliocene	3.6 - 2.588	USA (Texas)	Bysmachelys canyonensis (99817) Testudo campester (191451)
Gelasian	2.588 - 1.806	USA (Florida)	Gopherus polyphemus (20384)
Pleistocene	2.588 - 0.0117	USA (Texas)	Gopherus hexagonatus (22642)
Pleistocene	2.588 - 0.0117	USA (Florida)	Gopherus polyphemus (206227 227368)
Pleistocene	2.588 - 0.0117	USA (South Carolina)	Gopherus polyphemus (77590) Gopherus sp. (65405)
Pleistocene	2.588 - 0.0117	Mexico (Santiago chazumba)	Gopherus sp. (190089)
Quaternary	2.58 - 0.0	Mexico (Santiago Chazumba)	Gopherus sp. (190088)
Irvingtonian	1.8 - 0.3	USA (Florida)	Gopherus polyphemus (20289 20351 20385 20400 20524 26550)
Irvingtonian	1.8 - 0.3	Mexico (Aguascalientes)	Gopherus auffenbergi, Gopherus pargensis (20283)
Irvingtonian	1.8 - 0.3	USA (Texas)	Gopherus sp. (20318)
Irvingtonian	1.8 - 0.3	USA (California)	Gopherus sp. (20272) Xerobates agassizi (20327)
Irvingtonian	1.8 - 0.3	USA (Nevada)	Gopherus agassizii (20280)
Irvingtonian	1.8 - 0.3	USA (Kansas)	Gopherus sp. (20166 20167)
Irvingtonian - Rancholabrean	1.8 - 0.012	USA (California)	Gopherus sp. (20321)
Rancholabrean	0.3 - 0.012	USA (Florida)	Gopherus polyphemus (20398 20440 20491 195112 195113)
Rancholabrean	0.3 - 0.012	Mexico (Tamaulipas)	Gopherus donlaloi (74498)
Rancholabrean	0.3 - 0.012	Mexico (Puebla)	Gopherus berlandieri (230717)
Rancholabrean	0.3 - 0.012	Mexico (Hidalgo)	Gopherus sp. (113410)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial)	0.129 - 0.0117	USA (Florida)	Gopherus polyphemus (20594 20650)
Late/Upper Pleistocene	0.129 - 0.0117	USA (California)	Gopherus agassizi (99601)
Late/Upper Pleistocene	0.129 - 0.0117	USA (Texas)	Gopherus sp. (230753) Testudo sp. (93527)
Late/Upper Pleistocene	0.129 - 0.0117	USA (Florida)	Gopherus polyphemus (20638 34269 154805 195110 195111)
Late/Upper Pleistocene	0.129 - 0.0117	Mexico (Puebla)	Gopherus berlandieri (226915)
Late/Upper Pleistocene	0.129 - 0.0117	USA (New Mexico)	Gopherus agassizi (99599 99600)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (high glacial)	0.129 - 0.0117	USA (New Mexico)	Gopherus agassizi (76059)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (late glacial)	0.129 - 0.0117	USA (Florida)	Gopherus polyphemus (154722)
Late/Upper Pleistocene	0.129 - 0.0117	Mexico (Hidalgo)	Gopherus sp. (226914)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial)	0.129 - 0.0117	USA (Georgia)	Gopherus polyphemus (20604)
Late/Upper Pleistocene	0.129 - 0.0117	USA (Nevada)	Gopherus agassizi (99602)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial)	0.129 - 0.0117	USA (Texas)	Gopherus hexagonatus (196664 196665 196666 196667)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (glacial)	0.129 - 0.0117	USA (Mississippi)	Gopherus polyphemus (164396)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	USA (Florida)	Gopherus polyphemus (100344 100346 100347 122303)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	USA (Georgia)	Gopherus polyphemus (100349)