Nature's Landlord

Nature's Landlord. . , Gopher tortoise Gopherus polphemus , Adult , Identification , Length 8-15 inches (20-38cm) , Weight: Up to 30lbs (14 kg) average 8-10lbs (4-5kg) , Color: Adults are grayish brown, and juveniles area a yellowish brown. , Legs and feet: Front legs and feet are flat and shovel like which helps them dig their burrows, back legs and feet are elephantine. , No webbing is present between toes., Habitat , Three key requirements: , 1. Dry upland habitat with sandy, well drained soils for ideal burrowing and nesting. , 2. Open tree canopy so that plenty of sunlight reaches the ground. , 3. Low growing food plants for their herbaceous (plant-only) diet including gopher apple and purple love grass., Reproduction , Mating Season: April through July , Females reach between 10-20 years old. , Females lay a clutch of 4-7 ping-pong ball sized eggs which are buried in the ground. Gestation:80-100 days , Sex is determined by temperature of the soil. Eggs> F 85 (30C) develop into females, < 85 F develop into males. , Hatchlings are 1-2 inches (3-5cm) and grown 3/4 inches a year., Keystone Species , Gopher tortoise burrow provide a home and refuge to over 350 vertebrate and invertebrate species. , Many share the burrow with the tortoise or use abandoned burrows., Burrow , Used to regulate body temperature and as shelter from predators and wildfires. , Up to 50ft (15 m) long and 15ft (5 m) deep, depending on water table. Width is about the length of the tortoise. , Aron (or Mound) in front of the burrow is often used as nesting site. , Multiple burrows may be used by individual tortoises. , Burrows provide shelter from heat, cold, fire and safe place to raise young., Why did the gopher tortoise cross the road? , To get to the other side! probable to graze, What can you do to help? , Watch the road for crossing tortoises , Do not take or move them , Plant native plants in their habitat. , If you find them near water, leave them on land., Cool facts , .They live for more than 89 years. , .They right themselves if flipped over. , .They socialize in groups called pods. , .They eat bones form dead animals, presumably to get calcium , .They dig up to 9ft a day in sandy soils , .They have a good sense of smell., Conservation and Status , Gopher tortoises are a protected species , Their populations are declining due to habitat loss and fragmentation, disease, vehicle strikes, and predation by invasive species., Made possible by the Lee County Tourist Development Council