Fossil Land Tortoise | Testudo thomsoni | White River Formation | South Dakota

Testudo thomsoni

Fossil Land Tortoise 

Oligocene 30 - 35 MYO

White River Formation 

 South Dakota USA

Turtle Dimensions: Approx. 5.5"×4.25"×1.5"

The term "turtle" is most often used to describe both turtles and tortoises. However, the major difference between the two is that turtles are aquatic and tortoises are terrestrial and are land-dwelling. If you look at the anatomy both have hard shells protecting their soft bodies. The top shell is the carapace and the bottom shell is the plastron.  The shells are often the only preserved part of this type of fossil. The hard parts are generally much more likely to fossilize than the softer parts. With this beautiful specimen both the top and bottom shell are well preserved with minimal restoration on the frontal area of the carapace.  Gorgeous display worthy fossil specimen for any collection or institution!