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Gopher Tortoise - Gopherus
polyphemus |
| There are three species of tortoises native to North America:
Desert Tortoise (found in the southwest U.S.); Berlandier's Tortoise (found in
southern Texas); and the Gopher Tortoise (found in the southeast U.S.).
The gopher tortoise is the species normally seen in Florida. Tortoises are land-dwelling turtles adapted for digging in the
soil. Equipped with stumpy, elephantine hind legs and heavily scaled
forelegs that are flattened for scooping sand, they excavate long tunnels with
large chambers at the end. The Gopher Tortoise is famous for digging
tunnels up to 35 feet long. It is now illegal to kill, capture, own, buy
or sell gopher tortoises except by special permit.
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