Gopher tortoises are strictly land turtles. They live in long-leaf pine ecosystems, where it’s very dry and can get pretty warm. Gopher tortoises also have a high, domed shell like a box turtle so they can pull themselves completely into their shells as well.

Land turtles don’t have flippers like a sea turtle, but they have very thick, sturdy legs.  Their back legs look a lot like elephant feet and their front legs are also thick and sturdy, but they have strong claws for digging.

Gopher tortoises are herbivores, meaning they eat plants like grass, legumes and cacti. Males and female are distinguished by a projection on their plastron (bottom shell) called a gular projection. In males, this projection is long and narrow, whereas the females’ projection is broad and round. Males use this projection to flip over other males that are in their territory.

Construction and development are a big threat for these turtles. Gopher tortoises dig burrows that can be 10 feet deep and 40 feet long. They tend to share this burrow with about 300 other animals who also call it home. So without gopher tortoises, a lot of animals wouldn’t have a home.  They are also known as a keystone species.  This means that they help maintain the balance of the ecosystem.