Save the Gopher Tortoises!!

If you are heading to the beach, be sure to watch where you are walking.  The Gopher Tortoises are found all throughout south Florida walking on the sandy beaches.  They live in dry habitats such as: clay or sand hills, wire grass flatwoods or prairies.  The tortoise tends to lay under an open tree canopy for sunlight. They also enjoy being around small plants for food and digging burrows.

Photo Courtesy of Cooperative Conservation

The tortoises can build up to 9 burrows in their habitat.  These burrows are for protection and a way for them to hide their food.  A lot of the time there may be one tortoise to each burrow.  Another cool fact is the tortoise is not the only animal that stays in these burrows.  Animals known as commensals (mice, frogs and snakes), use these burrows to hide in and store their food as well. Unlike many other animals,  the tortoises will never hurt the commensals while they share their burrows.

The gopher tortoise is slowly being vanished from south Florida because their habitats have deteriated.  New buildings, homes, and parking lots go up everyday but that is one less place for a tortoise to live.  Also, these are not harmful tortoises and people enjoy bringing them home as pets.  But this is causing the tortoises to not be re-populated.  So I know their nice to look at, but leave them alone!!  There have been too many animals that have become extinct and we don't want them to be next.

University of Florida, Enchanted Forest