Gopherus berlandieri

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The Texas tortoise (Gopherus berlandieri) is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species G. berlandieri is one of six species of tortoises that are native to North America. G. berlandieri (Texas Tortoise) is found in the southern third of Texas (roughly parallel to Houston) southward into the Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas. Within its range, it inhabits semi-arid regions characterized by mesquite shrub and cactus dominated landscapes. The specific epithet, berlandieri, is in honor of naturalist Jean Louis Berlandier, who worked for the Mexican government on one of the first biological surveys of Texas. As such, some sources refer to it as Berlandier's tortoise. The Texas tortoise, unlike other species of gopher tortoise, is not an adept burrower. It uses the thick vegetation for cover and thermoregulation. Succulent plants, a preferred food of the Texas tortoise, are common in these areas. It especially likes the fruit of cacti such as the prickly pear.