The 2011 IUCN assessment cited habitat loss of over 80% over three generations (defined as 90 years) for the desert tortoise, incorporating past reductions and predicted future declines.
Notes on verification
Verbatim language confirmed by USGS summary and the original IUCN Red List account (Berry et al.), cross-corroborated by multiple independent mirrors. Minor dating nuance: formal Red List publication is 2021, though it reaffirms the 2011 provisional assessment figures. [tier=unverified indep_score=0.3 clusters=2 claim_tier=notable] [rescored 2026-09-15: curated origin-host map (PR #65); unclassified hosts no longer scored as aggregators]
Sources
- Gopherus agassizii - USGS Publications Warehouse (seed:environment_and_wildlife)
- https://tortoise-tracks.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/2021-Berry-et-al-IUCN-Red-List.pdf (corroboration)
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354795025_Gopherus_agassizii_The_IUCN_Red_List_of_Threatened_Species (corroboration)