The gopher tortoise lives throughout the southern U.S. and has a sizable population in Florida. These animals can weigh up to 29 pounds and grow to well over a foot in length. Outside of its shell, much of the animal's weight comes from its very thick hind legs. It has sharp front feet that help it dig. The gopher tortoise is typically gray or tan, though its hatchlings are brightly colored. Unlike turtles, which are aquatic and have more hydrodynamic shells, gopher tortoises have shells that are more dome-shaped.
The gopher tortoise burrows underground to depths of up to 20 feet and lengths of up to 50 feet, though it will dig small burrows beneath surface layers of vegetation as well. Gopher tortoises are considered critical to Florida's ecology, in part because their burrows provide a home for numerous species.
The gopher tortoise nests near its burrow openings between April and July. It typically lays between 4 and 7 eggs, which are the size of pingpong balls. The eggs take 80 to 90 days to hatch. The sex of the hatchlings is determined by the temperature of the area surrounding the nest; warmer temperatures result in females hatchlings. Baby tortoises grow almost an inch a year.
The gopher tortoise is listed as a threatened species on Florida's endangered species list, and loss of habitat poses the greatest threat to the species. Gopher tortoises naturally live up to 100 years, so quick declines in population indicate that many are dying unnatural deaths. For instance, some are struck and killed in roadways, and others die when forestry practices disrupt their food supply. Some people kill the gopher tortoise for food, although the practice is illegal, or on accident as they attempt to kill burrowed rattlesnakes.
Gopher tortoises typically eat low-growing plants and fruits, including grasses, legumes, apples and blackberries. However, they will occasionally eat dead animals. Gopher tortoises drink by using their front legs to clog rainwater as it comes into the burrow, though much of the water they consume comes from food. It is rare for gopher tortoises to drink standing water, though they have been spotted drinking on the side of the road during extreme droughts.