Gopher tortoises have shovel-like front legs and strong, thick back legs to help them dig intricate burrows, which they can enter and exit easily thanks to their low-profile shells. When these ...

On the horizon directly in front of her burrow, about two miles offshore, Egmont Key’s historic lighthouse towered over ...

Gopher tortoise burrows are considered key features in the large ... Georgia and South Carolina have been waiting for federal protection since 1982. Baby Gopher Tortoise by Randy Browning, USFWS.

"Burn baby, burn baby," one said ... and it's against the law to kill harass or destroy gopher tortoises, their eggs or their burrows," FWC spokeswoman Karen Parker said. The State Attorney's ...

Gopher tortoises are disappearing from Florida, primarily because of habitat destruction that's often tied to residential development. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission via Flickr ...

“Each one of these poles marks a gopher tortoise burrow, and gopher tortoises dig burrows into the ground. And that’s where they live,” said Janet Windisch, the corresponding secretary for ...

With populations spanning all 67 counties, gopher tortoises are far too busy as Florida’s only native tortoise species for ...

The owners of those tunnels? Gopher tortoises. The tortoises build and live in sandy, 15-foot-long underground passages, known as burrows. Inside, they enjoy a relatively cool life, with their ...

“We did have a gopher tortoise population in the park, but it was limited, 8 known burrows at that time. After Helene, we started to find tortoise out on our beaches, quickly realized it wasn ...

The Guardian reports that Fort de Soto county park’s gopher tortoise population has actually increased since Hurricane Helene. Park rangers recently reported 84 active burrows in the Florida ...

The tortoises can live 40-60 years in the wild, typically laying eggs once a year. Those released Thursday have tags and ...