Hobbies And Interests
Physical Characteristics
Gopher tortoises are usually a dark tan or gray color. They usually grow to be 12 inches long and tend to weigh about 29 pounds. Males and females are easily distinguished by the undersides of their shells, which are called "plastrons:" males have concave plastrons, and females have flat plastrons. Their front legs are shaped like flippers and their back legs are short and broad like those of the elephant. Gopher tortoises can live for over 100 years.
Burrows
The gopher tortoise is the only species of tortoise that digs deep, long burrows in the ground. Its front legs are perfectly adapted for digging, and its burrows can be up to 40 feet long and 10 feet deep. Gopher tortoises use their burrows for shelter from extreme weather conditions, like drought and fire. These burrows also provide shelter for hundreds of other animal species, such as the indigo snake, the armadillo and the burrowing owl. Some species, such as the Florida mouse, cannot survive without these burrows.
Diet
Gopher tortoises are herbivores that usually feed on plants that require large amounts of sunlight, such as crowngrass, dayflowers and meadow beauties. They will also occasionally eat wild berries like blackberries and palmetto berries. Gopher tortoises are known to scavenge and will occasionally eat dead animals or excrement. They rarely drink standing water, because most of their water comes from the food they eat. When it rains, gopher tortoises will hide in their burrows and drink the rainwater as it streams inside, using their front legs to stop the water flow long enough to drink from it.
Mating and Reproduction
The gopher tortoise reaches sexual maturity when it is 12 years old, though some don't reach maturity until they are 15 years old. Mating season is between April and November. Females lay their eggs underground in a nest near their burrows, where they hatch after about 90 days. Newborn gopher tortoises -- also known as hatchlings -- are extremely vulnerable to predators, such as raccoons, armadillos and fire ants, which is why less than 6 percent of hatchlings are expected to live to reach maturity. When they are born, hatchlings dig their own small burrows for protection, or they may hide in the burrow of a nearby adult gopher tortoise.