Gopher Tortoise

(Gohperus polyphemus)

*Species description adapted from Snyder, 1991.

LEGAL STATUS:

The gopher tortoise is listed as a Species of Special Concern by the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission [1].

TIMING OF MAJOR LIFE HISTORY EVENTS:

• Mating season - April through June
• Incubation - eggs laid shortly after mating; hatch in 80 to 90 days in Florida; 4 to 12 eggs laid annually; may have only one successful brood every 10 years
• Age of Maturity - 10 to 15 years in Florida
• Lifespan - probably greater than 25 years in the wild

PREFERRED HABITAT:

Gopher tortoises tend to dig burrows in open and sunny areas that have patches of bare ground [2].  They inhabit dry areas where sandy, well-drained soils persist and avoid wet, swampy areas where the water table is less than 3 feet (1 m) below the surface*.  Soils in gopher tortoise habitats are often low in fertility but support a diversity of grasses and forbs.  Elevations range from just above high tide to 330 feet (100 m).  Gopher tortoises inhabit seral plant communities that have remained undisturbed for up to about 11 years.  As shade increase, the number of tortoises decreases.

COVER REQUIREMENTS:

Gopher tortoises dig burrows for hiding, nesting, and protection.  For this, well-drained sandy soils are best.  Burrows are, on average, 14 feet (4.7 m) long and 6 feet (2 m) deep [3], but can be more than 40 feet (11 m) long and 18 feet (6 m) deep.  Depth is dependent on groundwater levels [4].  The distribution of gopher tortoises is strongly correlated with soil and vegetation types, both of which can change dramatically with an 8-inch (20 cm) change in groundwater level [2].

MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS:

The gopher tortoise is listed as threatened because much of its original habitat has been developed for real-estate, agriculture, mining, and forestry, thereby causing critical decreases in populations.  Removal of vegetation through livestock grazing, however, may benefit tortoises by providing bare, open areas for burrows [2].  Relocation of tortoises to areas where they have been eradicated can be successful (i.e. rehabilitated forest and mine lands, or areas where they have been eradicated due to fire exclusion) [5].  The gopher tortoise is considered a keystone species because more than 80 symbiotic species live in and rely on its burrow for protection [3].  Some of these species are rare, such as the dusky gopher frog (Rana areolata), the pine snake (Pituophis melanoleucus), and the

* Editor's Note:  In Brevard County, it has been observed that gopher tortoises inhabit poorly-drained scrub and slash pine flatwoods.  In fact, higher gopher tortoise densities were found in these poorly-drained sites than in well-drained sites (Breininger et al., 1991).