Kansas Herpetofaunal Atlas

Illustration of the dorsal (left) and lateral views of the holotype of *Testudo riggsi* (KU 6789). Figure 1 from the original publication (Hibbard, 1944). Collected in Seward County, Kansas.

Illustration of the plastron of the holotype of *Testudo riggsi* (KU 6789). Figure 2 from the original publication (Hibbard, 1944). Collected in Seward County, Kansas. Drawing by Barbara Barto.

REPTILIA (Reptiles) TESTUDINES (Turtles) TESTUDINIDAE (Tortoises)

Rigg's Tortoise
†Testudo riggsi Hibbard 1944

Conservation Status:
Extinct

Diagnosis:
Superficially resembling Gopherus berlandieri (Agassiz), being of about the same size, although possessing a much heavier carapace and plastron that are rugose in appearance due to lines of growth: gular portion of the epiplastron decidedly thicker; distinguished from known species of Testudo by its small size and the high broadly arched carapace.

Distribution:
Middle Pliocene, Locality No. 6, Seward county, Kansas. Saw Rock Canyon Local Fauna.
(, Museum Voucher) (, Observation) (, Literature Record) (, iNat Record), ( Fossil)
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Full range depicted by light shaded red area. Export Google Earth (.kml)

Occurrence Summary:
3
Records
3
Museum Vouchers
0
Other Observations

Some county occurrences indicated below may be too imprecise to map above.
County Breakdown: County Name (# occurrences):
Meade (3);

Natural History:

Remarks:
Holotype. Kansas University Museum of Vertebrate Paleontology 6789, a nearly complete carapace and plastron, of an adult turtle, showing 14 lines of growth. Paratype, KU 6790, complete plastron and nearly complete carapace, and parts of skeletal elements of an adult with 16 lines of growth.Named in honor of Elmer S. Riggs, Honorary Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology, at the University of Kansas.

Bibliography:

1944	Hibbard, Claude W. A new land tortoise, Testudo riggsi, from the Middle Pliocene of Seward County, Kansas. The University of Kansas Science Bulletin 30(7):71-76
1946	Lane, Henry H. A survey of the fossil vertebrates of Kansas, Part III. The reptiles. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 49(3):289-332
1949	Hibbard, Claude W. Pliocene Saw Rock Canyon fauna in Kansas. Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology, The University of Michigan 7(5):91-105
1949	Hibbard, Claude W. and Elmer S. Riggs. Upper Pliocene vertebrates from Keefe Canyon, Meade County. Bulletin of the Geological Society of America 60(5):829-60
1961	Brattstrom, B. H. Some fossil tortoises from western North America with remarks on the zoogeography and paleoecology of tortoises. Journal of Paleontology 35(3):543-560 Discussion of tortoises in northern latitudes (specifically Kansas) p 553 and Testudo riggsi (p 557).
1985	Schultze, Hans-Peter, L. Hunt, J. Chorn, and A. M. Neuner. Type and figured specimens of fossil vertebrates in the collection of the University of Kansas Museum of Natural History. Part II. Fossil amphibians and reptiles. University of Kansas Museum of Natural History, Miscellaneous Publications (77):1-66 Also check on several listed names not in KHA as KS taxa.
2018	Vlachos, Evangelos. A review of the fossil record of North American turtles of the clade Pan-Testudinoidea Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History 59(1):3-94 Has a BUNCH of changes to turtle taxonomy that need to be incorporated.

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