Sonoran Desert Tortoise vs. Mojave Desert Tortoise

Split on genetics in 2011: the Sonoran Desert Tortoise lives east and south of the Colorado River, the Mojave Desert Tortoise west and north of it (in Arizona, only the far northwest corner). A: A narrower shell in the Sonoran Desert Tortoise; a wider shell in the Mojave Desert Tortoise. B: Shorter: barely jutting under the chin in the Sonoran Desert Tortoise; longer: jutting out under the chin in the Mojave Desert Tortoise. These differences are small and overlap. RANGE IS THE SUREST WAY TO TELL THEM APART: which side of the Colorado River decides.

Photographs via iNaturalist under Creative Commons licences; the photographers are credited on the sheet.

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