What Is a Gopher Tortoise?

The gopher tortoise is a long-living animal found throughout the southeast United States, including Florida, eastern Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and South Carolina. The land tortoise is known for its digging of burrows, many of which serve as lodging for other types of animals (such as gopher frogs and black pine snakes). Because of that, the tortoise is classified as a keystone species.

  1. Burrows

    • This species of tortoise digs burrows, generally between 20 and 30 feet in length. The depth of the burrows is typically between 6 and 8 feet. The digging process is conducted by the species' flat front legs. The burrows function as shelter from predators and also from weather extremes. Common spots for burrows include prairies, pastures, sandhills and dunes.

    Appearance

    • The gopher tortoise ranges in color from gray-black to deep brown and has an oval shell that can be 6 to 15 inches long. Female gopher tortoises have flat shell bottoms while male tortoises have concave bottoms.

    Food

    • For the most part, the gopher tortoise is an herbivorous creature. Occasionally, however, the tortoise will consume animal bones as a means of acquiring calcium. The gopher tortoise diet consists of herbs, grass, saw palmetto berries, flowers (including daisies and asters), pines, beech, blackberries and gopher apples.

    Locations

    • The tortoise usually resides in dry areas over soil that is sandy and well-drained, and can often be found in grassy forest settings with low plants. Other typical spots for the species are ditch banks, prairies, pastures, clayhills, fields and roadsides.

    Life Cycle

    • The gopher tortoise is known for its extended lifespan. While captive, the tortoises can sometimes reach over a century in age. In the wild, the life expectancy is between 40 and 60 years. The animal attains maturity sexually between 12 and 15 years old. The mating season is April to June. The gestation process lasts 80 to 100 days, and the clutches are composed of between four and seven eggs.

    Declining Population

    • The gopher tortoise population is decreasing due to several factors, including urbanization, pesticide use and car accidents. Because of that, the species is officially considered to be under federal threat in parts of Louisiana and Florida.