The Texas tortoise traces its ancestry back through the fossil record for at least ten million years to Pliocene deposits in central Texas. Continuation of this ancient lineage, however, seems uncertain today. Once common south of a line from Del Rio to Corpus Christi, the species is fading from the landscape throughout its range.
Although many factors have contributed to the decline of Texas' only tortoise, loss of habitat clearly ranks highest on the list.
"Your Search has Ended"
© 31 July 1999, all rights reserved
