Gopher Tortoise Background and Recovery

The gopher tortoise is one of the few species of burrowing tortoise in the world. Its burrows, which can be up to 15 feet deep and 40 feet long, are used by a host of other species like the indigo snake, Florida mouse, gopher frog, burrowing owl and scarab beetle.

Gopher tortoises generally build their burrows in sunny, upland sandy areas with a low water table so that they can excavate the deep tunnel and with a variety of herbaceous ground cover giving them a diverse array of plant food to choose from.

Threats to the Gopher Tortoise and Its Habitat

The primary threat to gopher tortoises is loss of habitat as a result of development. In addition to destroying habitat, developers have been permitted to bulldoze over the tortoises that are underground in the burrows.

Efforts are underway to stop the permitting of this practice and assure that if tortoises are not protected in place, that they will be relocated to safe sites.

Another problem is that the natural communities where tortoises live are dependent on occasional rejuvenating fires, but many of these areas are being kept from natural or planned burning so the shrubs and trees are over growing and shading out the tortoises’ food plants.

In the past, tortoise populations were depleted by people who took them for food, often pulling them out of their burrows.