Gopher Tortoise

Description:

Gopher Tortoises are listed as threatened on the Florida Endangered species list. The gopher tortoise grows on average to be about slightly less than one foot long and weighs about 29 pounds, though they have been found to be as big as 16 inches. The gopher tortoise is unique in that it is one of the few tortoises to actually make large burrows. Many tortoises hide under vegetations or use very shallow burrows.The gopher tortoise is a turtle as all tortoises are turtles, but not all turtles are tortoises. They graze on vegetation just like cows, and therefore, are important players in spreading seeds. Gopher tortoises also have chiseled looking front feet (flippers) and elephant like hind legs. The gopher tortoise is a rather plain looking turtle as far as colors go. They are either a dark tan, or gray. Their front legs are broad and flat, almost like a shovel. Their back legs look just like an elephant's legs. The top part of their shell is fairly flat, The adult gopher tortoise is a rather drab looking animal, which is in stark contrast for the brightly colored hatchlings. The gopher tortoise reaches sexual maturity between 12 and 15 years of age, when their shells are about 9 inches long.

Habitat:

The gopher tortoises can be found throughout the state of Florida and southern areas of Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama and the tip of Eastern Louisiana. They dig their burrows in dry habitats

Notes:

The gopher tortoise has an elaborate courtship that begins in the spring. They will nest between April and July. Typically, the nests are dug very close to their burrow openings, where a clutch of 4-7 eggs are laid. After about 80 - 90 days, the young hatch and will often spend the first winter in their mother's burrow. The gopher tortoise egg's are round and about the size of a ping pong ball, they incubate for about 80 - 90 days, The sex of the offspring is determined by the temperature of the sand or dirt where the nest is incubating, if the temperature is above 30° C (85° F), the tortoises hatchling will be females. Temperatures below 30° C produce males. Hatchlings are 1 - 2 inches long and grow about 3/4 inch a year, Adults range in length from about 10 - 15 or 16 inches and can weigh about 30 pounds. Gopher tortoises live upwards of 100 years. The gopher tortoise is a very important part of the local ecology. As in any food web, if you start taking certain flora or fauna out of the equation, then you can adversely affect the survival of that ecosystem. The gopher tortoise is especially important because the burrows, which are dug by the tortoises, also provide homes for other animals, such as indigo snakes, gopher frogs, mice, foxes, skunks, opossums, rabbits, quail, armadillos, burrowing owls, snakes, lizards, frogs, toads and other invertebrates, gopher tortoise burrows are home to about 250 species of animals at one time or another. Some species share the burrows with the tortoises and others utilize abandoned burrows. Since the burrows are used by so many species, it does not take a rocket scientist to see that removing the tortoises from the local habitat would leave many animals without homes.