Natural History of the Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus)

During our class trip to the Aquarium, we got to see one of my favorite animals ever- the Gopher Tortoise!

Gopher Tortoise at the SC Aquarium (look at that grumpy face! and shovel-like feet for digging).

The Gopher Tortoise is known as a keystone species- a species that other commensal animals, such as the Gopher Frog and Gopher Owl, depend on for protection as well as a contributor to the habitat for long-leaf pine forests allowing temperature stability in the burrows and providing more air circulation to the roots. They are the only tortoise found in the United States east of the Mississippi River and, unfortunately, their populations have greatly declined in association with the long-leaf pine forests being diminished (almost 95% gone!) due to burning, growing faster pine trees for cheaper wood, and "snake wrangling" by smoking out snakes in Gopher Tortoise burrows. With their populations historically expanding up into the northeast, they are now just dwindling within Florida and parts of Georgia and a few other eastern states. While the Aiken Gopher Tortoise Preserve exists in South Carolina, these tortoises are brought there from other states in hopes that the local population will rise.

Gopher Tortoise burrows are where the tortoise resides in most of its life, reaching up to 40 feet long and 10 feet beneath the ground. the burrows maintain a stable temperature and humidity as compared to the surface, providing excellent protection for other organisms during winter months and natural burns. The burrows allow the foliage in long-leaf pine forests, perfect for the herbivorous tortoises that eat the various roots and flowers, getting their water from the plants consumed. Cool fact: these animals can live up the 60 years

Diagram of a typical Gopher Tortoise burrow.

What a common burrow looks out in nature, notice the declining position of the opening and the pile of sand accumulated from being burrowed out.

Gopher Tortoises are being federally reviewed as threatened and currently are state threatened within Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana, and a species of concern in Florida.



Sources:
http://www.defenders.org/gopher-tortoise/basic-facts
http://www.gophertortoisecouncil.org/about-the-tortoise/
http://www.dnr.sc.gov/cwcs/pdf/GopherTortoise.pdf