Gopher Tortoise

The gopher tortoise belongs to a group of land tortoises that originated in North America 60 million years ago, thus making it one of the oldest living species. The gopher tortoises can be found throughout the state of Florida and southern areas of Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama and the tip of Eastern Louisiana. They dig their burrows in dry habitats. The gopher tortoise grows on average to be about slightly less than one foot long and weighs about 29 pounds, though they have been found to be as big as 16 inches.
The gopher tortoise is unique in that it is one of the few tortoises to actually make large burrows. Many tortoises hide under vegetations or use very shallow burrows.
The gopher tortoise is a turtle as all tortoises are turtles, but not all turtles are tortoises. Ray Ashton states in his literature for the GTCI, think of them as a cow with a shell. They graze on vegetation just like cows, and therefore, are important players in spreading seeds. Gopher tortoises also have chiseled looking front feet (flippers) and elephant like hind legs.
The gopher tortoise is a rather plain looking turtle as far as colors go. They are either a dark tan, or gray. Their front legs are broad and flat, almost like a shovel. Their back legs look just like an elephant's legs. The top part of their shell is fairly flat, The adult gopher tortoise is a rather drab looking animal, which is in stark contrast for the brightly colored hatchlings.
The gopher tortoise reaches sexual maturity between 12 and 15 years of age, when their shells are about 9 inches long.