(Gopherus polyphemus)
Family: Tortoises (Testudinidae)
Order: Turtles (Testudines)
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Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) Family: Tortoises (Testudinidae) Order: Turtles (Testudines) | |
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Size: Usually 15-24 cm, max. 38 cm. Distribution: Southeastern USA (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina). Habitat: Sandy areas between grasslands and forests. Digs burrows that has been recorded to extend as far as 14.5 m. The burrow is straight, unbranched, and ends in an enlarged chamber. Food: Grasses, leaves, fruits, berries, and occasionally bones, charcoal, and insects. Reproduction: Mating takes place in April or May. A single clutch per year of 1-9 (usually 5) spherical eggs, 38-46 mm in diameter, are laid in late April to mid-July in a nest cavity about 15 cm deep. The nest may be placed either in the burrow or in some distance from the burrow. The eggs hatch in mid-August through September and measure 25-50 mm (usually about 43 mm). The young show considerably more yellow or orange in their colouration than their parents. Activity and behaviour: In hot weather and at night, the tortoise uses its burrow as a shelter. On cool days, it basks near the entrance to raise the body temperature, before foraging. Aestivates during hot, dry summers, and hibernates during winter. Sexual differences: Like other tortoises, males have a concave plastron (belly shield). Status: Threatened. Natural habitats are disappearing throughout the range of the species. Protected by CITES (Appendix II) and by local legislation in every state where it occurs. Still caught illegally and eaten by some local people (Ernst & Barbour 1989). Notes: The burrow provides fairly constant temperature and humidity, and is often shared with other animals, such as small mammals, owls, snakes, frogs, toads, and invertebrates. References: Behler, John L. & King, F. Wayne. 1979. The Audobon Society field guide to North American reptiles and amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 744 pp. Conant, R. & Collins, J.T. 1998. A field guide to reptiles & amphibians. Eastern and central North America. Peterson Field Guide Series no. 12. Houghton Mifflin, Boston & New York. 616 pp. Ernst, C.H. & Barbour, R.W. 1989. Turtles of the world. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. & London. 313 pp. Text & layout: Rune Midtgaard |
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