The Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is the only tortoise species native to North America occurring east of the Mississippi River. The population occurring west of the Tombigbee River is currently listed as federally threatened by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), while the remaining populations have state protections.
Its range is the southeastern United States, starting in southern South Carolina, extending through portions of Florida, and as far west as southeastern Louisiana. Gopher Tortoises prefer sandy soils associated with longleaf pine forests, oak hammocks, prairies, and coastal dunes where they dig burrows that are used for cover when they are not foraging for vegetation.
Gopher Tortoises are a keystone species, meaning many other species, including the federally threatened Eastern Indigo Snake (Drymarchon couperi), depend on their burrows for shelter from predators and fires.
Surveys for Gopher Tortoises can be conducted throughout the year and require walking transects within the project footprint and marking potential burrows. Burrows are then scoped by a permitted biologist to confirm presence. After confirming the burrows are being utilized by gopher tortoises, they may be trapped or mechanically excavated for relocation directly prior to any ground disturbance activities during the spring or fall.
Tortoises are relocated to either a recipient site, or into an exclusion area consisting of suitable habitat which would be fenced off prior to construction activities. Depending on the type of project, after construction is complete, tortoises may be returned to where they were originally found or allowed to re-populate the area.
EDGE’s professional herpetologists, Mr. Tim Brust, and Ms. Kristyn Cutrera have experience conducting burrow surveys, burrow scoping, bucket trapping, mechanical excavation and relocation, and pen installation. They are both fully authorized Gopher Tortoise agents in Florida and federally permitted to conduct surveys in the federally protected portion of the species’ range.
If managing potential disturbances to Gopher Tortoises is critical to the success of your project, please reach out to Tim or Kristyn for #furtherinsight.
