Description ²

The gopher tortoise has a light to dark brown, elongate upper shell and dull yellow shell. The skin is greyish brown and the head is large and blunt. The hind feet are small, stumpy and without webs. The front legs are shovel-like for burrowing in sand.

Habitat ³

The gopher tortoise prefers dry landscapes such as sandy ridges and sand dunes, as well as the forests of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris).

Conservation ⁴

Protection by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has made it illegal to keep gopher tortoises as pets, race them, or remove them from their natural range.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) http://www.birdphotos.com, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/Gopherus_polyphemus_Tomfriedel.jpg/460px-Gopherus_polyphemus_Tomfriedel.jpg
2. (c) Wildscreen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/2614024
3. (c) Wildscreen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/2614026
4. Adapted by okaloosascience from a work by (c) Wildscreen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/2614029

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HerpMapper
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• The Reptile Database
• VertNet

Range Map

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iNat Map