Gopher Tortoise

Appearance: Gopher tortoises can live 40 to 60 years in the wild and average 9 to 11 inches in length....

 

Habitat: During winter, tortoises are much less active; although on warm afternoons some individuals trudge to the earth's surface to bask on the sandy aprons of their burrows. A superb earth-mover, it lives in long burrows that offer refuge from cold, heat, drought, forest fires and predators. The record length for a burrow is over 47 feet long, however, the burrows average 15 feet long and 6.5 feet deep. The burrows maintain a fairly constant temperature and humidity throughout the year and protect the gopher tortoise and other species from temperature extremes, drying out, and predators. Burrows also act as a refuge from the periodic, regenerative fires that are required to maintain the quality of their habitat.