The Mojave Desert Tortoise, now classified as Gopherus agassizii sensu stricto, was assessed as Critically Endangered after the former widespread species was split into three species: G. agassizii, G. morafkai, and G. evgoodei.
Notes on verification
Confirmed by IUCN Red List assessment and multiple independent academic sources documenting the taxonomic split and conservation status change. [cascade flags: wikipedia_dropped_other_sources_exist | 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)
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/377002571_Gopherus_morafkai_The_IUCN_Red_List_of_Threatened_Species_2023_eT97246109A97246177 (corroboration)