Gopherus Polyphemus
The Gopher Tortoise is a species of turtle in the family Testudinidae. The species is native to the southeastern United States. The gopher tortoise is seen as a keystone species because it digs burrows that provide shelter for at least 360 other animal species. The gopher tortoise is threatened by predation and habitat destruction. The gopher tortoise is a representative of the genus Gopherus, which contains the only tortoises native to North America. This species of gopher tortoise is the state reptile of Georgia and the state tortoise of Florida. The gopher tortoise is a fairly large terrestrial reptile which possesses forefeet well adapted for burrowing, and elephantine hind feet. These features are common to most tortoises. The front legs have scales to protect the tortoise while burrowing. They are dark brown to gray-black in overall color, with a yellow bottom shell. A gular projection is evident on the anterior plastron where the head projects from the shell. Sexual dimorphism is evident, with the male gopher tortoise having a concave plastron, while that of the female is flat. In addition, the gular projection of a male plastron is generally longer than that of a female.
Gopher tortoises are herbivore scavengers. Their diets contains over 300 species of plants. They consume a very wide range of plants, but mainly eat broad-leaved grass, regular grass, wiregrass, and terrestrial legumes. As gopher tortoises usually get water from the food they eat, they usually only drink standing water in times of extreme drought. Gopher tortoises are known for their digging ability. Gopher tortoises spend most of their time in long burrows, up to 48 ft in length and 9.8 ft deep. In these burrows, the tortoises are protected from summer heat, winter cold, fire, and predators. The burrows are especially common in longleaf pine savannas, where the tortoises are the primary grazers, playing an essential role in their ecosystem. The gopher tortoise is an extremely long-lived animals; estimates for wild tortoises range from 40 - 60 years, while tortoises in captivity can live more than 100 years.
