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Project Noah Nature School
Gopherus polyphemus
I think it is a gopher tortoise. But I'm not so sure.
Spotted on Jul 2, 2012
Submitted on Jul 2, 2012
2 Comments
Hi there. Since you know the identity of your organism, please go ahead and fill in the scientific name field. This allows the spotting to fully enter the database and become complete, letting groups and individuals use the data and find your spotting. It also takes the spotting off the "unidentified" list. Thank you!
Here's a great Project Noah blog entry that explains the spotting process:
http://blog.projectnoah.org/post/2870249...
Nice spot! And definitely a gopher tortoise. In 1996 it was listed as "vulnerable" in the state of FL, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of FL have been attempting to get the tortoise listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act. Currently there aren't sufficient funds to change its status in FL, but I imagine it will happen in the next few years. This is such an amazing animal and any glimpse of them in their natural habitat is a truly wonderful experience... and this one looks right at home in that habitat.
http://eol.org/pages/456481/overview
This is a nice, thorough site about gopher tortoises just in case you're interested in knowing more about this present day dinosaur you crossed paths with :)