The GopherTortoise

Photo by Steven Kintner
    Gopher Tortoises are closely tied to dry habitats. It is the only land tortoise in Florida and is a threatened species. Their population has been in decline for the last forty years due to habitat loss. Gopher Tortoises dig their burrows to be up to fort feet deep and the width of the burrow is the length of their body. Active burrows are cared for and debris is cleared away daily. Their burrows are a sanctuary from predators and wildfires. They do not drink water but get water from the 400 species of plants that they eat and store water in their shell. Gopher tortoises live alone and only interact to mate. Male tortoise's have a battering ram called a gular to fight other males The hard armored belly is called a plastron. The male plastron is concaved to facilitate mating while the females is flat. Females lay 4-6 eggs at the apron of the burrow. The females do not care for the young after the eggs are laid. The eggs incubate for 90 days and the sex of the hatchlings depends on the temperature of the ground. They breed once they reach maturity at 12 years old and live for over 60 years. Since they are not raised by a parent, everything they do is by instinct. They spend 80% of their lives near the mouth of their burrow.

Gopher Tortoise. Defenders of the Wildlife. http://www.defenders.org/gopher-tortoise/basic-facts. Accessed 16 April 2017.
Gopher Tortoise. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/reptiles-and-amphibians/reptiles/gopher-tortoise/ Accessed 16 April 2017

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