Gopher Tortoise
Gopherus polyphemus
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.
Length Average of 10 inches
Weight 29 lbs
Lifespan 60 years
Diet
Grasses, flowers such as asters and daisies, spurge, peas, beech and pines
Population
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.
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-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.
Threats
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
The gopher tortoise is listed as threatened in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama under the Endangered Species Act*, CITES** Appendix II, state listed as threatened in Georgia, state listed as endangered in South Carolina, listed as a species of special concern in Florida
*The Endangered Species Act requires the US federal government to identify species threatened with extinction, identify habitat they need to survive, and help protect both. In doing so, the Act works to ensure the basic health of our natural ecosystems and protect the legacy of conservation we leave to our children and grandchildren.
** Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international treaty with 172 member countries. Appendix I species cannot be traded commercially. Appendix II species can be traded commercially only if it does not harm their survival.
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.
For additional information
Defenders' Gopher Tortoise Recovery Efforts
Gopher Tortoise Council
Gopher Tortoise
Organization
