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Gopher Tortoise
(Gopherus polyphemus) |
| Description: A dry land turtle,the gopher tortoise has a high, domed shell with shell lengths of up to 15 inches. They have stubby, elephant-like hind feet and flattened front feet with large toe nails for digging. Gopher tortoises favor dry, sandy ridges with open stands of longleaf pine, turkey oak and other scrub oaks. They also frequent open areas around road shoulders, food plots, and rights-of-way which have well drained sandy soil. Gophers dig long sloping burrows up to 30 feet long and extending up to 9 feet below the surface. The burrows almost always have a characteristic mousehole shape, with a flat bottom and a rounded arched top and sides, much like the gopher itself. These dens are used as shelter by gophers as well as by a variety of other sandhill residents, including the indigo snake and the diamondback rattlesnake. Gophers feed on grasses and other plant material near the ground. Feeding trails are often visible leading from the den’s sandy apron to foraging areas. Eggs are laid in or near the den apron in May, June, and July and hatch in about 80-100 days. Young tortoises are about the size of silver dollars and they and nest are very vulnerable to predation by crows, raccoons, opossums, foxes, skunks, and other animals.
 Forestry Considerations: Care should be taken with heavy equipment around gopher dens to avoid collapsing the den and particularly to avoid crushing eggs and young gophers, which dig very shallow dens. Fire and/or herbicides may be necessary to maintain gopher tortoise habitat quality when scrub oaks shade out ground cover the gopher tortoise feeds on. Gophers forced to move to road shoulders and opening edges are vulnerable to predation by animals and humans. Frequent fires and thinnings allow sunlight to reach the forest floor and create good habitat for nesting and feeding.
Distribution by County: Gopher tortoises are protected by federal law in the Alabama counties west of the Mobile and Tombigbee Rivers and in Mississippi and Louisiana. They are also protected by state law in the rest of the state as a game animal with no open season. Counties in which they are federally protected include Choctaw, Washington, and Mobile. Other counties in which they occur are Baldwin, Barbour, Bullock. Butler, Clarke, Crenshaw, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Dale, Escambia, Geneva, , Henry, Houston, Monroe, Montgomery, Pike, Sumter, and Wilcox.
Visit the Gopher Tortoise Council webiste |
School of Forestry & Wildlife Sciences Extension
602 Duncan Drive · Auburn University, Alabama 36849
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Upcoming Events:
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Subject: Alabama Natural Resources Council Symposium & Awards Banquet
Time: 2:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Location: 602 Duncan Drive, 1101 Forestry & Wildlife Sciences Bldg, Auburn University, AL 36849
Calendar: ACES Forestry, Wildlife & Natural Resource Mngt.
Event Website
02/10 - Alabama Natural Resources Council Symposium & Awards Banquet
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Subject: Community Empowerment for the Environment Workshop
Time: 6:00 AM - 8:00 AM
Location: Alabama A&M University Agricultural Research Center Auditorium
Calendar: ACES Forestry, Wildlife & Natural Resource Mngt.
02/16 - Community Empowerment for the Environment Workshop
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Subject: Sustaining & Maintaining an Effective Outdoor Classroom
Time: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Location: AU & Extension Research Station at Belle Mina
Calendar: ACES Forestry, Wildlife & Natural Resource Mngt.
02/16 - Sustaining & Maintaining an Effective Outdoor Classroom
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Subject: Timber Tax and Return Preparation
Time: 5:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Location: http://www.aces.edu/forestry/documents/Timber%20Tax%20Brochure%20-%202012.pdf
Calendar: ACES Forestry, Wildlife & Natural Resource Mngt.
Event Website
02/16 - Timber Tax and Return Preparation
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Subject: Growing Up WILD Educator Training
Time: 12:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Location: Phenix City Head Start Center
Calendar: ACES Forestry, Wildlife & Natural Resource Mngt.
02/21 - Growing Up WILD Educator Training
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Subject: Timber Tax and Return Preparation
Time: 5:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Location: http://www.aces.edu/forestry/documents/Timber%20Tax%20Brochure%20-%202012.pdf
Calendar: ACES Forestry, Wildlife & Natural Resource Mngt.
Event Website
02/21 - Timber Tax and Return Preparation
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Subject: Timber Tax & Return Workshop
Time: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Location: ALFA Environmental Hall, University of West Alabama, Livingston, AL 35470
Calendar: ACES Forestry, Wildlife & Natural Resource Mngt.
Event Website
02/21 - Timber Tax & Return Workshop
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Subject: Tree Giveaway
Time: 12:00 AM - 2:00 AM
Location: Old Evergreeen City School Parking lot
Calendar: ACES Forestry, Wildlife & Natural Resource Mngt.
02/22 - Tree Giveaway
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Subject: Arbor Week Tree Give Away
Time: 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Location: Forestry Commission Office, 225 Coats St., Double Springs
Calendar: ACES Forestry, Wildlife & Natural Resource Mngt.
02/23 - Arbor Week Tree Give Away
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Subject: Timber Tax and Return Preparation
Time: 5:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Location: http://www.aces.edu/forestry/documents/Timber%20Tax%20Brochure%20-%202012.pdf
Calendar: ACES Forestry, Wildlife & Natural Resource Mngt.
Event Website
02/23 - Timber Tax and Return Preparation
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