- Where to see one
- 3 U.S. zoos in our directory hold texas tortoise, confirmed against each zoo's own animal list.
Conservation status
Not Evaluated
This species has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List, so it sits outside the threat scale entirely.
About the texas tortoise
The Texas tortoise is a tortoise native to southern Texas and the Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas, and one of six tortoise species native to North America. It inhabits semi-arid regions dominated by mesquite shrub and cactus. Unlike other gopher tortoises it is not an adept burrower and relies on thick vegetation for cover and thermoregulation. It favors succulent plants, especially the fruit of cacti such as prickly pear, and spreads seeds by excreting them. Females lay clutches of one to five eggs. Densities fell from about 15-16 tortoises per hectare in 1975 to an estimated 0.26 per hectare by 2001.
Texas Tortoise facts
- It is named in honor of naturalist Jean Louis Berlandier, who worked on an early biological survey of Texas.
- Densities dropped from about 15-16 per hectare in 1975 to an estimated 0.26 per hectare by 2001.
- By eating cactus fruit and excreting the seeds, it helps disperse seeds across its range.
- Unlike other gopher tortoises, it is not an adept burrower.
Where to see texas tortoise in the U.S.
3 zoos across 1 state
Find the closest one
Rank the 1 zoo holding texas tortoise by how far they are from you. Your location is used in your browser to sort this list and is never sent to us.
2 more zoos hold texas tortoise but have no coordinates on file yet, so they aren't ranked here. They're in the full list below.
AZAThe Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Accredited members have passed an independent inspection of animal care and welfare, safety, conservation and education, repeated every five years. Many smaller facilities never apply, so “not accredited” isn't a verdict on its own. What accreditation means · How we check this
Built from each zoo's own published animal list.
