Gopher tortoises are moderately-sized terrestrial turtles, reaching around 12 inches in length, and weighing up to 12 pounds when fully grown.

They can be identified by their stumped, flat hind feet, forelimbs that are shovel-like, and scales which are adapted to digging. Their shell is oblong with variations of brown, tan, and gray in color.

The gopher tortoise is found in terrestrial habitats with sandy soils and low growing vegetation, typically longleaf pine sandhills. They build underground burrows that are 5 meters in length and 2 meters deep and provide protection from weather and predators. They are found primarily in Florida and the Southeastern Coastal Plain.

Gopher tortoises are herbivorous and will eat a variety of native and exotic plants high in biomass. They prefer to graze on blackberry, mushrooms, and a variety of low-growing grasses.

They tend to graze on vegetation relatively close to their burrows, but will travel more than 300 feet to meet their foraging needs.

Gopher tortoises won’t reach full sexual maturity until about 20 years of age, and while usually docile, the males can become aggressive while fighting for a female mate. Females lay their eggs at the entrance of the burrow and are often susceptible to predation by other animals. The eggs take 80-110 days to hatch, but they require no parental care at birth.

The gopher tortoise is a fire-dependent species, which means it requires prescribed fire to open up the canopy and get sunlight to the ground for low-growing vegetation.