Editing Desert tortoise (section)

==Taxonomy==
In 2011, on the basis of DNA, geographic, and behavioral differences between desert tortoises east and west of the Colorado River, it was decided that two species of desert tortoises exist: Agassiz's desert tortoise (''Gopherus agassizii'') and [[Morafka's desert tortoise]] (''Gopherus morafkai'').<ref name="usgs.gov">[https://archive.usgs.gov/archive/sites/www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp-ID=2842.html Genetic Analysis Splits Desert Tortoise into Two Species] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170102115933/https://archive.usgs.gov/archive/sites/www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp-ID=2842.html |date=January 2, 2017 }}. US Geological Survey (2011-06-28). Retrieved on 2019-08-22.</ref> The new species name is in honor of the late Professor David Joseph Morafka of [[California State University, Dominguez Hills]], in recognition of his many contributions to the study and conservation of ''Gopherus''. ''G. morafkai'' occurs east of the Colorado River in Arizona, as well as in the states of [[Sonora]] and [[Sinaloa, Mexico]]. The acceptance of ''G. morafkai'' reduced the range of ''G. agassizii'' by about 70%<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Murphy|first1=Robert|last2=Berry|first2=Kristin|last3=Edwards|first3=Taylor|last4=Leviton|first4=Alan|last5=Lathrop|first5=Amy|last6=Riedle|first6=J. Daren|date=2011-06-28|title=The dazed and confused identity of Agassiz's land tortoise, Gopherus agassizii (Testudines: Testudinidae) with the description of a new species and its consequences for conservation|url=https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/2586/|journal=ZooKeys|language=en|issue=113|pages=39–71|doi=10.3897/zookeys.113.1353|issn=1313-2970|pmc=3187627|pmid=21976992|doi-access=free|bibcode=2011ZooK..113...39M }}</ref>  In 2016, based on a large-scale genetic analysis, ecological and morphological data, researchers proposed a split between the Sonoran and Sinaloan populations. This southernmost member of the ''Gopherus'' genus was named ''G. evgoodei,'' [[Goode's thornscrub tortoise]].<ref name=":0">{{cite journal|vauthors=Edwards T, Karl AE, Vaughn M, Rosen PC, Torres CM, Murphy RW|date=2016|title=The desert tortoise trichotomy: Mexico hosts a third, new sister-species of tortoise in the ''Gopherus morafkai''–''G. agassizii'' group|url=https://zookeys.pensoft.net/articles.php?id=6124&display_type=list&element_type=9|journal=ZooKeys|issue=562|pages=131–158|doi=10.3897/zookeys.562.6124|pmc=4768471|pmid=27006625|doi-access=free|bibcode=2016ZooK..562..131E }}</ref>