Gopherus polyphemus
gopher tortoise

The gopher tortoise is found in the southeastern part of the United States. Its range includes southwestern South Carolina, south almost to the tip of the Florida peninsula; west through southern Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, to Louisiana and the edge of southeastern Texas and Arkansas

The habitat of the gopher tortoise is in sandy ridge and sand dune areas where the water table never comes near the surface. The forests of longleaf pine, Pinus palustris, are also prime areas for gopher tortoise habitation.

The upper shell is brown or tan, with growth rings evident on younger individuals, but these are worn away on adults. The under shell is unhinged, dull yellowish in color, with the soft parts being grayish brown. The upper shell can range in length from 107 mm to 240 mm. The feet of this tortoise are stumpy and without webs, and their heads are large and blunt. Compared to the other species in the genus Gopherus, the gopher tortoise's head is broad, hind feet small, and shell elongate.

Adult gopher tortoises require 16-21 years to mature, and can live 40 years or longer.

The gopher tortoise can be found every month of the year with peak activity being May or June. The excavation of burrows is its main activity. The burrows, which are dug with their forelegs, can be up to 3 meters deep and 12 meters long. These burrows give them a place to sleep and hibernate, where they are protected from enemies (snakes and carnivorous mammals) and harsh weather condition. They spend their nights in the burrows and emerge daily in warm weather, usually in the morning before the heat is too great, to forage for food.

Overall, the gopher tortoise is an herbivore that enjoys low vegetation. The gopher tortoise spends most of its foraging time grazing in areas with a good supply of grasses and low herbs. Its food primarily consists of grasses and leaves with the occasional wild fruits and berries. In captivity gopher tortoises have been known to be fond of watermelon and cantaloupe rinds.

There are few negative aspects of the gopher tortoise. The occasional damage of crops by hungry tortoises and the relocation costs of developers needing to relocate tortoises from areas being built are the only negative aspects.

Ancient Indians had a monetary system that used gopher tortoises in the place of money. Shells of the tortoises have served as baskets, pots and even sun helmets. Even today, they are a source of food for poorer rural people of Florida and south Georgia.

The gopher tortoise has a vital community role and is known as a keystone species because of the wide use of their burrows by other animals (such as burrowing owls, raccoons, opossums, gopher frogs, snakes, etc.). Because they are a keystone species, the protection of the gopher tortoise is crucial for the whole ecosystem in which it lives. In some states the gopher tortoise is being protected by state agencies that are enforcing conservation laws and controlling illegal harvest. Besides protecting the tortoise against poaching other methods of conservation are being used. Relocation of gopher tortoises has been used, with success, to protect tortoises on land that is being developed. Reintroduction into areas from which the tortoises were driven has also been used. Protection of gopher tortoise habitat, such as sand dunes and longleaf pine forests, is also an alternative that can help keep populations high.

Tortoises are known in legend and folklore for their leisurely ways and slow pace. The Florida gopher tortoise follows this legend well with a slow pace of between .27 and .5 miles per hour.