Gopher Tortoises

Gopher tortoises are small, stocky, and dark in color, and are a very important keystone species. Keystone species are animals in an environment that other species depend on. Gopher Tortoises are an important keystone species thanks to their very deep burrows, which they share with up to 350 different species like pine snakes, burrowing owls, mice, and more! Gopher tortoises have very muscular and shovel like front arms, which are very important for digging their deep burrows, and they have a thick bone shell that grows with them throughout their lives. The top layer of their shell is made of little ridged sections called scutes, which are dark in color and made of keratin. Tortoise scutes will form rings, similar to tree rings, which can help tell the age of a tortoise and how much they grow each year.

Gopher Tortoises are herbivores, meaning they only eat vegetation. They most commonly feed on the low-lying grasses and plants around their burrows, which can include over 300 different native species of plant. These plants even include things like blackberries, blueberries, prickly pear and more. Instead of teeth, Gopher Tortoises have a sharp beak that allows them to cut through vegetation quickly with each bite. Gopher tortoises play another important role in the environment because as they forage and eat the seeds of many different plants, even some endangered plants and berries, they help to spread the seeds through their excrement, which helps the seeds in their germination process.

Today, the biggest danger to the Gopher Tortoise populations is the loss of their habitats and having their territories broken up into smaller pieces where developments are destroying their burrows. As cities grow and more land is used for development, there is less space for Gopher Tortoises to live. This makes it harder for them to find enough food and puts them at huge risk from being injured by people, and getting hit by cars when they try to search for new habitat. Gopher Tortoises unfortunately often get hit by cars while trying to cross highways and roads and vehicle strikes often cause the most deaths each year. Gopher Tortoises are also slow to reproduce and once they hatch many do not survive to adulthood. Unfortunately, without Gopher Tortoises creating their burrows, many other animals are also threatened and have no place to live.

Gopher Tortoises need your help!
Here are some ways you can contribute to protecting this amazing species.
If you see a Gopher Tortoise in its natural environment, including your yard, leave them be and be excited to have such an important neighbor sharing your space! Do not try to pet or pick up these animals, this can put them at risk for being injured. Gopher Tortoises also have an ancient GPS in their head which allows them to remember where food and water is. If they are moved somewhere they are unfamiliar with, they will either starve, or attempt to return to their original habitat which could cause them to be hit by a car on their way.
If you see development happening near a Gopher Tortoise burrow, call your local Wildlife Authorities! Development and construction is not allowed to happen within a 25ft radius of the burrow, if you see a burrow being threatened or destroyed, contact the proper authorities who will come to the site and make sure the Tortoise and their burrow is safe, and if necessary, move the tortoise to a safe location for rehabilitation into a new, safer, environment.