Gopher Tortoise

Gopherus polyphemus

Description:

A candidate species for possible listing later under the Endangered Species Act. Gopher tortoises are dry-land turtles and burrow a hole in the soft sand. This is a very important animal to the ecosystem because the burrow also provides shelter to over 350 other species.

Habitat:

Gopher Tortoises usually live in relatively well-drained, sandy soils generally associated with longleaf pine and dry oak sandhills. They also live in scrub, dry hammock, pine flatwoods, dry prairie, coastal grasslands and dunes, and mixed hardwood-pines.