Gopher Tortoise - Gopherus polyphemus

Status - Species of Special Concern

Range - Southern South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and a small part of Louisiana.

Habitat - In and around burrows dug by the tortoise in the flatwoods ecosystem. The burrows can be 10 feet deep and up to 35 feet long.

Notes - Tortoise burrows are used for shelter by many small animals during fires. As many as 10 different animals can share the same hole during a fire. At other times, these burrows may be utilized by more than 350 different animals.

Because of this the gopher tortoise is considered a keystone species. If too many tortoises are removed from a flatwoods ecosystem, it would have a domino effect on many other animals. Gopher tortoises are protected by law, and it is illegal to capture or kill them.

This photo is of a newly hatched gopher tortoise. Adults are typically duller and more grey-brown in coloration.