Gopher Tortoise Facts
| Defenders At Work | Take Action |
Gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) are so named because of their ability to dig large, deep burrows.
Fast Facts
Length: Average of 10 inches.
Weight: 29 lbs.
Lifespan: 60 years.
The shell or "carapace" of the gopher tortoise is mostly brownish gray and the underside of the shell, or "plastron," is yellowish tan. Their front legs are shovel-like which helps them when digging their burrows. As with all turtles, males can be distinguished from females because males have concave plastrons. Male gopher tortoises also have longer tails than females.
Diet
Gopher tortoises eat grasses, flowers such as asters and daisies, spurge, peas, beech and pines.
Population
Did You Know?
The gopher tortoise is seen as a keystone species because it digs burrows that provide shelter for hundreds of different species!
There are an estimated 1,674,000 gopher tortoises in the wild.
Range
The range of the gopher tortoise is much smaller than it was in the past. Human activities have made the gopher tortoise’s historic range unlivable, forcing them into a greatly diminished continuous range that includes small parts of southern Alabama, South Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia and a larger area in north-central Florida. See a range map >>
Behavior
Gopher tortoises are one of the few species of tortoise that dig burrows. These burrows can be up to ten feet deep and 40 feet long, and are as wide as the length of the tortoise that made it. In addition to providing the tortoise a home, the burrows are also used by a range of other species including the indigo snake, Florida mouse, gopher frog and burrowing owl.
Reproduction
Mating season: April through June.
Gestation: 80-100 days.
Clutch size: 3-15 eggs.
Hatchlings that survive predation by raccoons, skunks and other predators often spend the first winter in their mother's burrow, then go off to make a burrow of their own.
Defenders Magazine
Read two articles on gopher tortoises: "On the Ground: Florida's Eco Troopers Make the Grade," and "No Tortoise Left Behind."
Defenders at Work
Defenders has been involved in many efforts to protect the gopher tortoise. These efforts include a successful drive to uplist the gopher tortoise from species of special concern to threatened species. Learn more about Defenders of Wildlife's work on behalf of gopher tortoises >>
Climate Change and Other Threats
Gopher tortoises are threatened by habitat loss, logging, disease, and road mortality.When developers want to build on an area that is gopher tortoise habitat, they either have to relocate the tortoises or take out an incidental take permit and then bulldoze over them. The gopher tortoises that are relocated often don’t stay in their new location. They try to move elsewhere and can be run over by cars.
Legal Status/Protection
- Endangered Species Act (ESA): The gopher tortoise is listed as threatened in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama, and eastern populations are listed as under review.
- IUCN Red List: Vulnerable.
- CITES: Gopher tortoises are listed in Appendix II.
- The gopher tortoise is state listed as endangered in South Carolina and state listed as threatened in Georgia and Florida.
- Learn more about legal status and protection of gopher tortoises >>
How You Can Help
- Help gopher tortoises and other wildlife by adopting an animal at our Wildlife Adoption Center.
- Take Action for Wildlife at our Wildlife Action Center.
