International Assessment Finds Gopher Tortoise Is Critically Endangered

Tortoise More Endangered Than Previously Thought

The International Union for Conservation of Nature has published a new assessment that revises the gopher tortoise’s status from “vulnerable” to “critically endangered” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The tortoise’s critically endangered status indicates it is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild, given current knowledge about its population trends, and recent, current or future threats. The assessment is based on the best available science and estimates that gopher tortoise populations have declined by approximately 80% over the past 120 years — just three tortoise generations. The assessment cites research that predicts 69%-91% additional future declines over the next two generations. Currently, there are no monitored populations that have increasing population growth rates. Gopher tortoises face a variety of threats that have driven these dramatic declines. Habitat destruction has reduced the tortoise’s longleaf pine habitat to less than 3% of its original extent. The threats driving tortoise declines and habitat destruction are not expected to abate in the future. Rather, they are getting worse...

Impressed Tortoise (Manouria impressa), subadult, family Testudinidae, Malaysia

ENDANGERED.

Sonoran Desert Tortoise (Gopherus morafkai), family Testudinidae, , Arizona, USA

Vulnerable

This species was separated from the Desert Tortoise, G. agassizii, in 2011, based on genetic evidence. The population of “Desert Tortoises” found east of the Colorado River are now Sonoran Desert Tortoises, and those west of the river are G. agassizii.

Radiated Tortoise (Astrochelys radiata), family Testudinidae, endemic to Madagascar

CRITICALLY ENDANGERED.

Eastern Hinge-back Tortoise (Kinixys z. zombensis), family Testudinidae, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa