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Project Noah Nature School
Gopherus polyphemus
This gentleman hoofed his way right through the area we were studying today- an upland pine sandhill. Shell maybe 12" across . A male, as evidenced by the scooped out section on the plastron.
Upland pine sandhill, Wekiva Springs State Park.
MY FIRST GOPHER TORTOISE! Woo Hoo!
Spotted on Sep 13, 2012
Submitted on Sep 13, 2012
2 Comments
I'm commenting on my own spotting, but this is an amazing creature. Found in pine lands in Florida, over 400 species rely on it for survival, mainly by taking refuge in their extensive burrows. Several endemic species are found only in association with the tortoise. If the threatened tortoise vanishes, so will they. In this manner, it is called a keystone species.
I'd waited 2 years to see a wild Gopher Tortoise, and I saw 2 today ! But on the drive home I saw 2 more- crushed in the road. :( :(