Gopher tortoises are a threatened species in Florida and developers are required to move them using an approved plan -- hence the gopher tortoise preserve in TV. They are fascinating animals. Their burrows average 30 feet long, and are 3 to 20 feet deep. Each burrow is occupied by only one tortoise, and it may use several burrows.
They cannot get up street curbs, so if you see one in the roadway, help it out by lifting it up the curb in the direction it was going. It is illegal to keep them as pets except with a permit.
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GopherTortoise Facts and Information
Gopher tortoise - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia