As this keystone species' name suggests, the gopher tortoise is an expert at living underground — like a gopher. When these tortoises aren't industriously digging burrows to hide from extreme weather ...

From there, the tortoise will di a tunnel where it will spend up of its life, only emerging to forage for food bask in the sun, or to mate. The gopher tortoise is considere a keystone species in ...

Federal scientists admit gopher tortoises are in deep trouble. A 2021 study by the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency that administers the federal Endangered Species Act, concluded that by ...

The building boom is having a disastrous effect on gopher tortoises, a 60-million-year-old keystone species that is losing the battle over the same high-and-dry ground where people want to live.

Gopher tortoises are considered a keystone species of longleaf pine forests, though they can be found in other ecosystems as well. The tortoise’s shovel-like front legs are adapted to create ...

Georgia’s new wildlife plan brings together habitat restoration, native planting and online tools to guide conservation across the state.

State officials are investigating after numerous recent gopher tortoise deaths at a popular beach destination.

Gopher tortoises share their burrows with more than 350 other species, and are therefore referred to as a keystone species. In Florida, the gopher tortoise is listed as threatened.

The ranger says about 250 species, including black racers and diamondback snakes, have been found in gopher tortoise homes. Yu hopes the tortoise transplants lead to increased biodiversity in the ...

Gopher tortoises are a threatened species in Florida, and handling them without a permit is illegal. They are also considered a keystone species, meaning they play a critical role in the ecosystem.

A gopher tortoise at San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park in Gainesville, Florida. Author: Bryce Johnson Published: 9:20 PM EDT July 16, 2024 ...

Nearly 300 gopher tortoises will lose their homes if a developer is allowed to build a new Treasure Coast neighborhood atop nearly 600 burrows — which another 365 species depend on to survive.