{"id":2192,"date":"2020-09-20T01:45:25","date_gmt":"2020-09-20T01:45:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/herofortheplanet.org\/longleaf\/?page_id=2192"},"modified":"2021-09-03T18:28:04","modified_gmt":"2021-09-03T18:28:04","slug":"gopher-tortoise","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/herofortheplanet.org\/longleaf\/explore\/longleaf-habitats\/sandhills\/gopher-tortoise\/","title":{"rendered":"Gopher Tortoise – Sandhills"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t
Longleaf Species – Sandhills<\/a><\/h5>\n

Gopher Tortoise<\/h2>\n\t

Gopher Tortoise<\/h3>\n\n

Status:<\/strong> Vulnerable<\/p>\n

The Gopher Tortoise<\/strong> is considered a keystone or critical species for longleaf pine ecosystem, mostly because of the deep burrows that it digs in the ground which is used by LOTS of other species in the ecosystem. The gopher tortoise can grow to be about 15 inches long and weigh between 8-15 pounds when fully grown. Their back legs short and strong to help it move and stabilize itself as it digs. Its front legs are kind of paddled shaped to help it dig into the soil. These reptiles can live to be up to 80 years old!<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\"GopherTort1\"\n\t\t\t\t\"gopherTort-burrow\"\n\t

Habitat & Range<\/h3>\n

The gopher tortoise is found across the southeast, extending from southern South Carolina to Louisiana and throughout Florida. This species prefers well-drained sandy areas that are not prone to flooding. Gopher tortoises dig deep burrows where they spend the majority of their time. Tortoise burrows can reach over 45′ long! Studies have shown that as many 350 other species in the longleaf ecosystem use these burrows as well!<\/p>\n

Food Web & Energy Flow<\/h3>\n

Gopher tortoises emerge from their burrows in warm weather to feed on a variety of vegetation. They are primarily herbivores, meaning they only eat low-growing plants. This makes them primary consumers. They spread seeds of these plants across the forest floor through their droppings, which is another important role they play in the ecosystem.<\/p>\n\t

Relationship to Fire<\/h3>\n

Imagine you’re a slow moving tortoise in a forest. It would be difficult to get around unless there was plenty of open space on the forest floor, right? Fire is very important for the gopher tortoise so they can move around, and so they can easily dig into the sandy soil on the forest floor.<\/p>\n

Relationship with other Species<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The burrows that gopher tortoises dig in the ground can be quite long and go quite deep in the ground, offering a safe place for many different animals to hide, both from predators, but also from fires when they burn. This is why gopher tortoises are considered a keystone species, or a species that is essential for the ecosystem to work!<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\"Many\n\t\tMany different species hide from fire in the gopher tortoise burrow. Courtesy of Longleaf Alliance\n\t

Conservation Status<\/h3>\n

The gopher tortoise is considered under different levels of threat in different states where it is found, as shown in the map below. In general, the gopher tortoise is considered Vulnerable, which means there is a medium\/ moderate risk that it could go extinct without protection.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\"Conservation\n\t\tConservation status at the state level. NatureServe Explorer\n\t

Human Impacts\/ Threats<\/strong>
\n<\/b><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\"development\"\n\t\t
Land Use Conversion<\/h5>\t\t\n\t\t\t

Longleaf forests and the habitat it supports is being cleared or converted<\/em> to use the land for other uses like houses, roads, agriculture, and even to grow different types of trees to sell.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\"smokeybear\"\n\t\t

Fire Suppression<\/h5>\t\t\n\t\t\t

Many people think of fires in the forest as bad, so they work hard to prevent or suppress<\/em> them. But longleaf forests NEED regular fire to support habitat for the species that live there!<\/p>\n\t

Resources<\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\t

Hero Journal<\/h3>\t\t\n\t\t\t\n