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(photo courtesy of ashtonbiodiversity.org)
The Gopher Tortoise is the state of Georgia's State Reptile
The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus), a reptile, is a threatened species in Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, and Louisiana and is endangered in South Carolina. Its habitat area includes north-central Florida, southern Georgia, and the Florida panhandle. This is the perfect habitat for this tortoise because it needs sandy soils that drain for making their burrows. These burrows can extend to 40 feet in length and the depth must be about the width of the tortoise itself. The temperature in the burrows are fairly constant. The burrow provides great protection from extreme temperatures. It is important to realize too, that the burrows of these animals is also used for shelter by many other animals, including the gopher frog, Florida mouse, diamondback rattlesnake, gopher cricket, and more. Some of these animals would not be able to live if it were not for the gopher tortoise. So, the understanding of the interdependence of these species is critical to many species survival.
Their food include grasses and legumes that grow naturally in their habitat. The tortoise is known to live up to 60 years and their shell length can reach up to 9 inches. Their maturity rate depends on the region they live in. For instance, female gopher tortoises in souther Georgia can take up to 21 years to reach maturity while northern Florida females may only take 10-15 years to mature. During their nesting females lay one clutch of eggs a year usually containing between 3 to 15 eggs. The eggs and hatchlings are vulnerable to predators until their shells harden. These predators include raccoons, armadillos, foxes, fire ants, and skunks.
It is not just the natural predators that are causing the numbers of these tortoises to decline. The loss of their habitat is also a problem. People are developing the habitat of these tortoises for housing. Also, forestry practices, such as planting of more pine trees, has altered the habitats of the tortoises in such as way that it makes it impossible for the turtles to find the food they need to survive. Other problems for the tortoise include road traffic, diseases such as upper-respiratory infections, and people using the tortoises as food and even sport (tortoise racing!) have helped to diminish their numbers.
There are many programs now designed to help save this species of tortoise. One of these programs is Gopher Tortoise Council. This council has environmental programs designed to educate people about the plight of these animals and also to work on policies for the protection of them.
References:
California Turtle and Tortoise Club: http://www.tortoise.org/cttc/web/website.html
The Tortoise Reserve: http://www.tortoisereserve.org/index.html
The Gopher Tortoise Website: http://millerb.8m.com/gopher%20tortise.htm
Florida Wildlife Federation - Gopher Tortoise Conservation Initiative
http://www.flawildlife.org/gophwork.htm
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