Skip to main content

Gopher Tortoise Juvenile

Gopherus polyphemus

Photo by ceherzog
Published on Project Noah
Zoom
NominateNominate for Wildlife Photograph of the Month
reportFlag Spotting

27.0999, -82.4544

Field Notes

Description:

This is a young Gopher Tortoise perhaps 3" long. He looks way more colorful than the adults I usually see.

Habitat:

Seen while doing a FL Scrub Jay survey at S. Venice Lemon Bay Preserve: coastal scrub/flatwoods

Notes:

Gopher tortoises are herbivore scavengers. Their diets contains over 300 species of plants. They consume a very wide range of plants, but mainly eat broad-leaved grass,regular grass, wiregrass, and terrestrial legumes. Take a look at the video and watch this little guy chow down.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (33)
ceherzog
Thanks Manugreen & gatorfellows!
gatorfellows
wonderful spotting - congratulations on NGSOTW :)
ceherzog
Thanks Gerardo, candef1, and Ira
ceherzog
It was in a natural area in Venice Florida...
ceherzog
Thanks Bernadette, Ardasha & Vivian!
surekha
What a cute little guy! Congratulations, ceherzog!
ceherzog
Thanks for all your kind comments!
Sachin Zaveri
Congratulations ceherzog, wonderful sharing, thanks for video,
Sergio Monteiro
Congratulations ceherzog, it is well deserved, indeed. Great spotting.
Carol Snow Milne
WOW! Congratulations! I didn't notice this at first. Wonderful!
ceherzog
I appreciate all your comments!
YukoChartraw
What a cute little guy and the wonderful video! Congratulations!
RiekoS
Congratulations! I really enjoyed your video. And, I saw your spotting through National Geographic first :-D
ceherzog
Wow! Thanks Yasser & all. He does deserve the spotlight! I just loved watching him graze on the vegetation as he moved across the path. I'll forward this to the folks at the preserve who work hard to manage this preserve for key species like gopher tortoises & Florida Scrub Jays.
LisaPowers
Congrats Claire! Thanks for highlighting this little one who is facing a difficult life ahead as kind fights for a place to live on this earth. Unfortunately development and habitat loss/fragmentation are making it difficult for this species to survive.
Yasser
Claire, congratulations! This colorful baby tortoise was selected as the National Geographic Spotting of the Week! Woohoo! Thanks for all the wonderful contributions to the community and congrats again for this well-deserved honor! National Geographic Facebook post: http://j.mp/1cCehqf

Spotted for Missions

Animal Young of Florida
Mission
Reptiles of the World
Mission
Turtles of the Southeast U.S.
Mission
National Geographic's Great Nature Project
Photographed
PublishedJune 28, 2013

Community Sponsor

Butterfly
Become a Community Sponsor and Help Grow our Global Movement!

Accelerate our Mission to Photograph 
Every Species in the World!

Butterflies icon
Become a Community Sponsor

Wildlife Community

Wildlife Community

Join a worldwide community passionate about wildlife and nature!

Join Project Noah

Nature School

Nature School

Transform your green space into a curiosity-creating nature classroom!

Visit Nature School

Wildlife Game

Wildlife Game

Defend wildlife throughout the jungle in thrilling nature game!

Play Baboon

Nature & Conservation Organizations

Brands & Mission-Focused Companies