desert tortoise
noun
: a large burrowing land tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) of arid regions of the southwestern U.S. and adjacent Mexico
Examples of desert tortoise in a Sentence
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The Mojave National Preserve also asked people to be on the lookout for desert tortoises, which emerge after rain to hydrate and eat the vegetation.
—
Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
One concern, according to the local newspaper The Nevada Current, is whether the airport will threaten endangered species in the Ivanpah Valley, including the desert tortoise and the rare white-margined beardtongue wildflower.
—Jessica Puckett, Travel + Leisure, 30 May 2025
For 35 years, the Mojave desert tortoise has been federally listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
—Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
For more on the desert tortoise’s progress, check out the full article.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2024
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Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
One concern, according to the local newspaper The Nevada Current, is whether the airport will threaten endangered species in the Ivanpah Valley, including the desert tortoise and the rare white-margined beardtongue wildflower.
—Jessica Puckett, Travel + Leisure, 30 May 2025
For 35 years, the Mojave desert tortoise has been federally listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
—Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
For more on the desert tortoise’s progress, check out the full article.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2024
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 28 Jun. 2025.
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