Sonoran Desert Tortoise

Arizona is home to two species of desert tortoise: the Sonoran Desert tortoise (Gopherus morofkai, pictured here) and the Mojave Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii). Known for their elephantine limbs and high-domed shells, the reptiles can live for up to 80 years and use shelters to protect themselves from extreme heat and cold. Thriving on a diet of grasses, herbs, wildflowers and cactus fruit, they range from 8 to 15 pounds in weight. This tortoise was photographed after a monsoon storm at Saguaro National Park, near Tucson.